Why Sustainability Matters in 2025: Understanding FSC® and PEFC Certification

It’s clear that a range of environmental concerns are hitting the headlines more frequently than ever before, which is why the concept of sustainability is becoming a much bigger factor in the purchasing decisions we make every year. 

Research surrounding the purchasing behaviours of consumers in the UK has found that 62% of Gen Z, 67% of Millennials, and 59% of Baby Boomers have made conscious decisions to switch to more sustainable living options. 

Notably, only 6% of consumers surveyed stated that purchasing sustainable and eco-friendly products wasn’t important to them at all, with 34% of respondents stating that they purchase sustainable products often. 

So, with more of us keen to play our part when it comes to where we spend our money, we want to talk about some of the things you can look out for when browsing kitchen doors for sale to ensure that your kitchen makeover is completed in an environmentally conscious way.

What is FSC®? 

Also known as the Forest Stewardship Council, the FSC® is a non-governmental, international organisation with a mission to promote economically viable, socially beneficial and environmentally appropriate forest management. The FSC® was founded in 1994 and is now the best-known and respected forest certification system in the world. 

The FSC® has a pioneering forest certification system, which currently covers areas of forest land spanning in excess of 160 million hectares. This innovative certification system also enables both customers and businesses to easily identify paper, wood and other products that are made using materials which support responsible forest management. 

Pro Tip: Businesses offering products that adhere to strict sustainability measures will always highlight this on their websites. If you can’t easily find a company’s commitment to sustainability, this might be an indicator to look for alternative businesses who share your values.

How is FSC certification obtained? 

Before being granted FSC certification, forest operations must demonstrate that they are compliant with ten principles, which include conservation values, workers’ rights, community relations, and the close monitoring of the environmental impact caused by each forest management strategy. 

Pro Tip: When browsing kitchen doors for sale, look for the FSC tick-tree logo. 

What is PEFC? 

The Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) is a non-governmental, non-profit, international organisation which promotes the sustainable management of forests via independent certification processes.

The PEFC endorses a range of national certification systems because it believes that the best results come from utilising local processes that can be specifically tailored to the conditions and priorities of local areas.

Forest owners are provided with tools which enable them to demonstrate their practices are responsible, which empowers businesses and consumers to make more sustainable choices.

Why do these certifications matter? 

Obtaining these certifications is important for businesses who want to engage with environmentally conscious consumers, the number of which is increasing year on year.

As certifications are awarded by independent organisations with strict frameworks, they are a clear signal to consumers that products displaying the FSC and/or PEFC logos come from well-managed foresters who are taking active steps to ensure their work is not actively causing harm to individuals, communities or the environment.

Is there a difference between FSC and PEFC? 

Both forest management certification systems are in place to ensure that forestry practices are consistently meeting clear economic, social and environmental standards. These schemes share many similarities, but as they are independent of each other, the specific requirements and regulations that forest management systems must meet will differ.

Design a sustainable kitchen with replacement cupboard doors from Happy Doors

Here at Happy Doors, we’ve simplified the process of finding replacement cupboard doors that are constructed from sustainably sourced materials. If you’ve found yourself here after searching for kitchen doors for sale, we hope that you feel empowered to choose options that come from forests with sustainable management practices in place.

The majority of the products in our catalogue are FSC and PEFC certified. If you’d like more information about our sourcing processes or to learn more about any of the replacement cupboard doors we have available, please give us a call on 01256 845 816 or send us an email to hello@happy-doors.co.uk.