Viken, Sweden—Välinge Innovation has shared new information about its sustainability mission and its FSC-certified Välinge Flooring products. Välinge said the FSC certification was a major milestone in its sustainability goals—having worked closely with the FSC to adapt its production and work practices to satisfy the high demands of the Forest Stewardship Council.
“We are continuously working on decreasing our environmental footprint and getting the FSC certification was an important part of our sustainability strategy,” said Pär Jönsson, supply chain manager, Välinge Innovation. “The FSC is a demanding standard with rigorous regulations, which means that it is a solid certification and a seal of quality for our customers. We built and adjusted our operation to fulfill the criteria for receiving the FSC label, and when we received the certification in 2018 we couldn’t have been happier.”
The FSC’s goal is to protect the planet’s forests for future generations and is a strong defender of the amended Lacey Act in the U.S., which aims to ban the illegal trade of timber—aspects that are crucial to Välinge’s code of conduct, according to the company. The FSC certification is periodically reviewed—much like an ISO certification—ensuring the sustainability and responsibility standards introduced in the certification process become an engrained part of the company’s work practices, and is something Välinge said it sees as a foundation to build upon, rather than the pinnacle of its environmental mission.
“It’s incredibly important to us that the raw materials in our products come from legal and sustainable forest management and that the employees in those forests and factories are treated fairly,” Jönsson said. “For example, a large percentage of our high-quality oak veneer used in our Woodura surface tech comes from our sister company’s forests in Croatia. We’ve noticed that our customers demand the same traceability. It’s really positive that people are engaged and want to know where the wood is sourced and what impact it has on the local population and on the planet.”
According to Välinge, its high-volume, state-of-the-art production facility at its headquarters here has an annual capacity of more than 64 million square feet of flooring—produced with its patented Woodura and Nadura surface technology. All of its products display the FSC label, the company said.