by
Ross Marowits, The Canadian Press
Canada's beleaguered forestry industry is facing a new push to protect the country's woodlands after Rona Inc. said it will soon sell lumber only from companies that proactively address environmental sustainability and do not contribute to deforestation.
The largest Canadian home improvement retailer also announced Friday it will stop selling $20 million of pesticides for cosmetic purposes next July as part of its commitment to the environment.
"We did that because it's a normal and natural continuity about our intention to become the leader in sustainable development," Normand Dumont, executive vice-president merchandising, said in an interview from Toronto.
Montreal-based Rona began to recycle paint a decade ago and last year launched a new line of eco-products.
It plans to promote the environmental changes in advertising, but Dumont denied Friday's policy changes were simply a public relations gesture.
"It's part of our DNA, and it's not the first time was are doing these actions, which are in line with sustainable development."
By the end of 2009, Rona aims to sell plywood panels only from forests certified as sustainable. The policy will apply a year later to commodity spruce, pine and fir lumber. Ninety per cent of the product now comes from certified lands.
All suppliers will be required to prove where their wood comes from by 2011.
By 2012, Rona wants 25 per cent of its wood sales to be certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, up from two per cent now.
Greenpeace Canada hailed Rona's move as "the strongest procurement policy for wood products in North America that we've seen."
"I think that it's going to be game changing, and it's going to shake up the forestry industry in Canada," said Richard Brooks, head of the environmental group's forest campaign.
He said producers like Tembec and Domtar that have FSC certified wood will become favoured over those that are reluctant to seek the designation.
Tembec, Domtar and AbitibiBowater all welcomed Rona's wood procurement policy. Rona supplier West Fraser Timber couldn't be reached for comment.
"It's an opportunity to increase our sales," said Tembec spokesman Richard Fahey, who noted Home Depot is the company's largest Canadian customer.
The Montreal-based wood producer claims to have the most FSC certified lumber in the world at 11.1 million hectares. Almost two million more hectares are shared with other companies.
Domtar also sees opportunities, since more than half of its 11.2 million hectares of woodlands are FSC certified.St. Catharine's Standard
