How do sustainably sourced wood products support long-term environmental health?

Forests absorb CO₂ as they grow. When harvested responsibly, a large share of that carbon remains stored in wood products for decades or longer. Managed forests are then regenerated, continuing to remove CO₂ from the atmosphere. This cycle—store carbon in products, regrow forests, repeat—supports long-term environmental health when paired with credible forestry practices.

Are wood products still climate-friendly after factoring in harvesting and processing emissions?

Yes. Life cycle assessments show that even after accounting for harvesting, milling, and transport, sustainably sourced wood is typically net-zero or net-negative compared to fossil-intensive materials. Stored biogenic carbon plus avoided emissions from substituting wood for steel, concrete, or plastics outweighs the processing footprint.

Why are plastic, steel, and concrete considered carbon-additive while wood can be carbon-storing?

Plastics originate from fossil fuels and steel/concrete require energy-intensive production, adding new CO₂ to the atmosphere. Wood begins as biogenic carbon captured by trees; much of that carbon remains stored in the finished product. When forests are regenerated, new growth continues to sequester CO₂.

How does using wood instead of synthetics reduce emissions?

This is called the substitution effect: when a wood product replaces a more emission-intensive alternative, the avoided manufacturing emissions of the alternative are credited to the wood choice. Over large volumes—like building materials or packaging—this displacement meaningfully lowers economy-wide emissions.

What does sustainable forestry mean in practice?

Sustainable forestry maintains forests as forests through practices like planned harvests, regeneration (natural or planted), protecting water and wildlife habitat, and monitoring growth versus removals. It is verified through credible programs and regional data that track forest inventory, growth, and health over time.

How is Blackberry Pallet connected to sustainable forestry?

Blackberry Pallet is part of The Turman Group, a vertically integrated regional wood-products family of companies. This integration provides line-of-sight from timber sourcing through milling and manufacturing and supports high utilization of by-products, aligning with circular-economy principles.

Where does Blackberry Pallet operate and source materials?

Blackberry Pallet services the Southwestern Virginia area, sourcing hardwood lumber from within The Turman Group.

Do Turman Group companies carry sustainability certifications?

Turman Group members participate in third-party sustainability and chain-of-custody programs (e.g., FSC and AHMI) and regional verification initiatives.

Is there evidence that Appalachian hardwood resources are sustainably managed?

Regional programs referencing U.S. Forest Service inventory data report that Appalachian hardwood growth exceeds removals, indicating a positive growth-to-drain balance over time. This supports the long-term availability of responsibly sourced hardwood when paired with sound management.

Do Blackberry Pallet’s hardwood pallets fall under the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR)?

Our pallets are sold in the United States to U.S.-based customers. When used solely as transport packaging to support, protect, or carry another product, wood pallets are covered by the packaging material exemption in CN 4415 under EUDR. Customers placing goods on the EU market manage any required due diligence for their products.

How do wooden pallets compare to plastic pallets environmentally?

Wooden pallets store biogenic carbon and typically have lower embodied energy. They are readily repairable, recyclable into composites, or used for bioenergy at end-of-life. Plastic pallets originate from fossil feedstocks and are generally more emission-intensive to produce.

How Sustainable Wood Products Support Long-Term Environmental Health

Joe H
7 days ago
4 min read

When it comes to environmental health, few resources play as important a role as our forests. Properly managed forests and the wood products that come from them create a cycle of carbon storage and renewal that helps stabilize our climate for future generations.

The idea is simple but powerful:

Forests absorb carbon dioxide as they grow.
Harvested wood products continue to store that carbon for decades or even centuries.
Managed forests regrow, pulling more carbon out of the atmosphere and keeping the cycle going.

This cycle of “store, renew, repeat” is why scientists see sustainably sourced wood as a cornerstone of a healthier environment.

Infographic showing managed forest carbon cycle with sustainable harvesting and regrowth. Trees absorb CO₂, wood products lock in carbon, and replanting ensures long-term carbon sequestration and forest sustainability. — Carbon Sequestration

Don’t Just Take Our Word for It

According to the U.S. Forest Service, American forests absorb more than 750 million metric tons of carbon dioxide every year, offsetting roughly 14% of the nation’s total greenhouse gas emissions [2]. And crucially, for over 50 years, annual forest growth has outpaced harvests—meaning U.S. forests are expanding, not shrinking.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has stated that in the long term, sustainable forest management “will generate the largest sustained mitigation benefit” because it prevents carbon saturation in old forests and provides a continuous stream of renewable wood products [4].

And when it comes to the products themselves, researchers have shown that wood stores carbon even after it leaves the forest. In Washington State alone, an estimated 350 million metric tons of carbon are stored in wood products currently in use and in landfills, with that number still growing every year [6].

Diagram showing carbon locked in lumber being manufactured into long-lasting wood products like flooring, furniture, pallets, and log homes, extending carbon sequestration for years and decades.

Why Sustainable Wood Products Outperforms Other Materials

Using wood instead of synthetic or fossil-intensive materials makes an even bigger difference:

A 2022 review of more than 100 building studies found that timber-framed buildings used 28% less embodied energy than concrete and 47% less than steel across their life cycle [3].
Concrete and steel together account for more than 13% of global CO₂ emissions [1]. By contrast, wood construction often cuts a building’s total climate impact by 30–80% [5].
Even in packaging, wooden pallets substitute for plastic ones with measurable carbon savings.

As the USDA Forest Service notes, this “substitution effect” makes wood a critical climate tool: every time wood replaces a high-emission material, society avoids additional greenhouse gas output.

Carbon Additive vs. Carbon Storing

Here’s the key difference between synthetic products and sustainably sourced wood:

Synthetics are carbon additive. Materials like plastic, steel, and concrete begin their lives as fossil fuels or in highly energy-intensive processes. Producing them releases new carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Every ton of steel, plastic, or concrete increases the carbon burden.
Sustainable wood is carbon storing and renewable. Trees absorb carbon as they grow, and that carbon stays locked in the wood product. When those products are harvested from responsibly managed forests, new trees regrow and begin absorbing carbon again.
Importantly, even when you factor in the emissions from harvesting, milling, and transport, the balance remains net zero or even carbon negative. Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) back this up, showing that wood products not only balance their own production footprint — they actively reduce climate impacts compared to synthetic options [3, 5].

A Renewable Cycle That Benefits Future Generations

Unlike fossil fuels, wood products come from a renewable resource that — when responsibly managed — regenerates itself. Proper forestry ensures that harvested areas return to forest, keeping the carbon cycle alive.

At the same time, wood can be reused, recycled into new materials, or even provide renewable bioenergy at the end of its life. This circular approach means less waste, lower emissions, and a healthier planet.

Final Word

Sustainably managed forests and wood products do more than provide raw materials. They:

Lock away carbon in long-lasting products
Keep forests growing and absorbing new carbon
Replace fossil-intensive materials like steel, concrete, and plastic
Fit naturally into a circular economy where waste becomes resource

Here’s the bottom line: synthetic materials add carbon to the atmosphere. Sustainably sourced wood removes it.

The evidence from forestry experts, climate scientists, and life cycle researchers is clear: wood isn’t just neutral — it’s one of the only common materials that can actually help the climate instead of harming it. That makes responsible forestry and wood use essential for the environmental health of tomorrow.

Our Commitment

Blackberry Pallet, as a member of The Turman Group, is proud to be part of an over five decades long tradition of sustainable and forestry stewardship. We stand committed to ensuring that future generations will inherit vibrant renewable natural resources and a greener world.

References

[1] Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University. Decarbonizing Steel and Cement. Link

[2] EcoAdapt. (2021). Incorporating Nature-Based Solutions: Community Climate Adaptation Planning. Link

[3] Frontiers in Built Environment. (2022). Life cycle energy analysis of residential wooden buildings versus concrete and steel buildings: A review. Link

[4] Minnesota Forest Resources Council. In forests, carbon flows in an ongoing loop. Citing the IPCC Fourth Assessment Report. Link

[5] Naturally Wood. Comparative LCA of mid-rise office building. Link

[6] Washington State Department of Natural Resources. (2020). Estimated Carbon Stored in Harvested Wood Products in Washington, USA: 1906–2018 Draft Report. Link

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