We don’t normally post sobering things here but it’s been a landmark day.
It seems to be all change in the world of wood-working (especially for Europeans). Here at Tinguitar.com we’ve always taken great pains to ensure that our wood came from reputable suppliers (either major importers with clear commitments to sustainable forestry or from small mom & pop types of wood yards where they knew where their wood came from, even if it sat around for 20 years before being sold to us).
There is now a real risk that we might not be able to use much of the wood we’ve salvaged because of the burden of proving that the wood wasn’t illegally harvested is massive. It’s strange because, though salvaged wood and re-use is acceptable, the burden of proof lies with me. I can’t provide full traceability for that piece of wood that was once a kitchen cabinet or an off-cut from a local joiner.
We lost a day of work at Tinguitar.com today working with solicitors to trying to ensure we continue to be compliant with all regulations around wood use and procurement. At best, it may decimate our stocks. At worst, it could put us out of business. The new EU Timber Regulations were developed in consultation with big business and furniture manufacturers. Their own guidance documents suggest that small and medium sized businesses may suffer disproportionately.
We just hope we can survive this new burden of paperwork.
<sigh>