Environmental certification of wood products : The U.S. manufacturers' perspective

A study was conducted in the spring of 1997 to determine the attitudes of U.S. wood products manufacturers with regard to environmental certification of wood products and a willingness to pay a price premium for certified products. Results indicate that respondents believe that their companies currently have policies in place aimed at environmental stewardship and that they are committed to environmental improvement. However, the general sentiment is that there is little need for certification of temperate forests or tropical forests. In stark contrast to U.S. consumers, manufacturers indicate they themselves are the most trusted group to certify forest management and harvesting. Results also indicate that respondents are generally not willing to pay a price premium for certified raw materials nor for costs associated with chain-of-custody procedures unless these costs can be offset by higher prices charged to customers.