SGLD Guidance Note 022
Tropical timber is a popular and common material in a designed garden, the wood is often, hard, smooth and stable, making it ideal for items such as furniture, decking and fencing. It is also potentially one of the most devastating materials from the point of environmental destruction and carbon emissions. Whilst an FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certificate may be valid, According to FoE (Friends of the Earth) in 2001 less than 1% of tropical timber imported into the UK was FSC certified and 62% was probably illegally felled. This has improved considerably since then (although current figures are hard to find); as an EU Member State, the UK is required to implement the EU Timber Regulation, which came into force in March 2013. Apparently this will continue in equivalence after Brexit.