FSC® Certified Wood Especially for Laser Cutting
Lasersheets is FSC®-certified*, which means we are allowed to sell certified wood with the FSC® label. These include our birch plywood sheets (3 and 6mm thick of European origin), MDF sheets (3, 4, 6 and 9mm thick), Bamboo plywood sheets (0.5, 1.5, 3 and 5mm), available in the webshop. Not coincidentally, these are also our best-selling wood types.
* Lasersheets is FSC® certified (C117418).
Only products marked as such are FSC certified.
We are proud of our certification because it gives you the guarantee that the wood in question comes from sustainably managed forests. As a supplier of wood products, we feel responsible for our planet and all life on it. By choosing FSC®-certified wood, we ensure that people, animals, and nature are better protected and the climate is less burdened.
Not many retailers of sheet material have this certification. It is usually reserved for wholesalers. Companies that are not certified are allowed to purchase FSC® certified material but must then sell it as uncertified, without any FSC® claims (this is called downgrading). Because these companies are not verifiable, it can no longer be guaranteed that the material they sell actually comes from sustainably managed forests and meets all other requirements.
We believe it is important that when we resell material to you, we can offer these guarantees. But what exactly does FSC® mean, what do you buy from us when you choose certified wood, and how do you benefit from it? This article provides the answers.
What exactly is FSC®?
The abbreviation FSC® stands for Forest Stewardship Council. It is an international organization that ensures responsible forest management and the maintenance of healthy forests. They do this on a global scale.
FSC® sets rules for sustainable forest management. Vulnerable areas are also protected, for example, against erosion or extinction.
Not only forests suffer from illegal logging. The people who work in them often live in terribly impoverished conditions. Therefore, the FSC also focuses on the social aspects that apply to logging and forest management.
They always ensure that workers in FSC forests can work under responsible conditions and receive adequate wages. This way, not only trees and animals are saved, but also local residents.
These requirements apply to both forestry itself and all companies further down the supply chain (sawmills, importers, wholesalers, etc.), all the way to the consumer. This is also known as the 'chain of custody'.
The work that FSC® performs is of great importance, because without forests, a stable climate, biodiversity, and thus all forms of life on our planet are not possible.
Why is Sustainable Forest Management Important?
Deforestation is responsible for approximately 15% of the greenhouse gases emitted worldwide. A huge amount of carbon is stored in trees and also in the forest soil. This is released when forests are cut down and enters the atmosphere. Because these forests disappear, this carbon is permanently lost, and the earth's climate balance is disrupted.
In FSC®-certified forests, special attention is paid to maintaining the carbon balance. When trees are cut down, new trees ensure that this balance is restored. The carbon that has been lost is thus replenished – in contrast to what happens with deforestation.
Products made from FSC®-certified wood with a long lifespan even have a positive carbon balance. The lost carbon is already replenished before the product needs replacement.
By choosing FSC® wood from Lasersheets and Snijlab, you opt for a product with a potentially positive carbon balance. This makes our FSC®-certified MDF and Birch Plywood one of the less impactful raw materials. Use these in your laser cutter, and you will contribute to a healthier climate for all of us.
Why Should You Choose FSC®-Certified Wood?
Of course, you can choose to use any other non-certified wood in your workshop, school, or Makerspace. However, there are several benefits you gain when you choose FSC®-certified wood.
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You can be sure that the wood you use comes from a sustainably managed forest.
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You can be sure that the workers who harvest and supply your wood work under good conditions and do not live in poverty.
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You thus contribute to better climate management for the entire earth.
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You set a good example and show others that climate issues and illegal logging are close to your heart.
The FSC® License
Obtaining an FSC® license involves quite a lot of effort. You must meet strict requirements for purchasing, storage, and a safe working environment. Among other things, we maintain comprehensive records of incoming and outgoing FSC® material, and we can guarantee that it is not mixed with uncertified material. We check every incoming delivery to ensure the certification is in order and that the supplier also has a valid license. Every year, we are audited to ensure we still comply with these rules.
Non-certified companies sometimes make FSC® claims. However, this is prohibited. If you, as a seller, are not FSC® certified and still sell material, the certification becomes void. You then no longer have any guarantee that it has not been mixed with other wood, for example, or that the working conditions were in order.
You sometimes hear that it wouldn't be necessary to be certified because the wood comes from the same forest anyway. This argument also doesn't hold up, because the point is precisely that empty claims offer you no guarantee whatsoever. Only a certification from an authority that checks whether each party adheres to the rules does that.
What exactly do you get when you buy FSC® certified wood from Lasersheets?
In any case, our wood is naturally of the high quality required for good laser cutting. But what exactly do the different FSC® claims mean?
In both cases, the wood comes from what are called Controlled Woods. These are therefore controlled by the FSC® and must meet the following requirements:
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They do not engage in illegal logging.
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They do not log in protected areas threatened by logging.
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They do not cut genetically modified trees.
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They do not violate civil rights during logging.
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They do not log in forests that are being converted to something else (non-forest-related), such as a plantation.
FSC®-Mix 70%
If you buy FSC®-Mix 70% certified MDF sheets from Lasersheets, it means that at least 70% of the logs come from an FSC® forest. The other 30% of the logs come from a non-FSC® forest. In the sawmill, these two streams merge, and the sawn wood is sold as FSC® Mix-70%.
FSC®-Mix Credit
Besides FSC®-Mix, there is also FSC®-Mix Credit certified wood. Our birch plywood (of European origin) carries this label. This is very similar to Mix-70% but comes from sawmills that administer things slightly differently. With Mix-Credit, 70% of the logs still come from an FSC® forest and 30% of the logs come from a non-FSC® forest. In the sawmill, this is mixed, and then 30% of the wood is sold as non-FSC®, and the remaining 70% as Mix-Credit.
Which Lasersheets products are FSC-certified?
On the relevant product pages, you will see the FSC® label. You will also see it in the product name.
We currently sell the following products with this certification.
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Birch Plywood: The sheets with thicknesses 3mm and 6mm (of European origin) are FSC®-Mix-Credit certified.
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MDF: The sheets with thicknesses 3, 4, 6 and 9 millimeters are FSC Mix-70% certified.
Lasersheets is the Supplier for You
We are happy to help you become successful with your laser cutter. For us, success also means taking the best possible care of your environment, which is why we are pleased to offer you certified wood. In addition, you can count on us for the following:
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We only offer high-quality materials that you will love
- All materials can be laser cut (and, of course, also sawn, CNC milled, etc.)
- Materials can be ordered directly to size for your laser
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That you can also order in small quantities, handy for the hobbyist and maker.
Do you have a laser cutter and need quality materials for your school, workshop, fab lab, makerspace, or your own workshop? Then visit our extensive webshop or contact us. With no less than 12 years of experience as a laser cutting service (in our sister company Snijlab), we are ready for you with genuine in-depth knowledge, advice, and guidance.
