Treated wood – a sustainable choice

A construction material, provided and renewable by Nature, with predictable performance, taking carbon from the atmosphere and locking it away for decades, with low energy demand and a feel good aesthetic, appreciated by almost everyone – that’s treated wood.

Wood is part of the bioeconomy, can be sourced responsibly, is a flexible and adaptable material that can be used efficiently and aligns with the concept of a circular economy. At the end of its life wood can be reused in a cascading process of uses, recycling or recovery of energy. Wood is consequently the only truly renewable construction material.

Wood offers a simple way to reduce the CO2 emissions that are understood to be the main cause of climate change through:

  • the carbon sink effect of the forests;
  • the carbon storage effect of wood products;
  • substitution for carbon-intensive materials.

Read the full report

TREATED WOOD A sustainable choice

This document has been produced by a joint task group representing the European Wood Preservative Manufacturers Group (EWPM) and the European Institute for Wood Preservation (WEI).

Or if you prefer to read the shorter Executive Summary of the report:

Executive summary TREATED WOOD A sustainable choice

Only through balancing social, environmental and economic aspects can we achieve true sustainability. Both treated wood and the biocides used in wood protection conform to the principles of sustainability and for clarity these are addressed separately.