SUSTAINABLE BUILDING PRODUCT OPTIONS

Between new building codes, desired building certifications, and concerned home or building owners, using sustainable building products continues to be an important element in any project.

Well-Managed Plantations

The eucalyptus plantations supplying the lumber mill are owned and managed by Fibria, Weyerhaeueser’s partner in the Bahia Produtos de Madeira mill. The Fibria plantations are a mosaic of eucalyptus and native tropical forest which were previously agricultural and grazing lands. Over 30% of these plantations are managed as permanent native forest dedicated to environmental protection.

Original species native to the area over 100 years ago have been reintroduced into this ecosystem. The Fibria plantations supplying the APM mill are certified to Brazil’s national sustainable forestry standard, Cerflor. This standard has been endorsed by the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC), a European based international organization that endorses credible sustainable forestry programs. PEFC is the largest global forest certification system and has more than 200 million hectares of certified forest under 35 independent national certification systems.

Fast Growing Trees = Faster Material Replenishment

Eucalyptus trees grow quickly and may be harvested within 14 –16 years of planting. Lyptus® forests are 11 times more productive on 2.5 acres (hectare) per year basis when compared to a temperate forest, which may take 80 to 100 years or more to mature. Lyptus forests also produce 30 times the volume of lumber per hectare per year when compared to an unmanaged temperate forest. Like Weyerhaeuser mills in the United States, the BPM mill uses virtually every portion of the log, converting it to lumber and other usable by-products; residuals are used as bio-energy for the kiln drying operations.