Generation AWAKE - WOOD

Generation Awake says Stop Wasting Waste! Europeans urged to join Generation Awake, the European movement for smart consumers

Just Forests are delighted to support this very important Europe-wide initiative.

Wood/Timber/Forests

Wood is the basis for many of the products we take for granted – from beds to books to park benches. But deforestation has serious environmental and social consequences so only by buying wood products from sustainable sources can we shop with a clear conscience.

Does the quality of your favourite chair have an impact on the planet?
Did you know that your unwanted wood can be re-used?
What would an orang utan think of your body lotion?

Brussels, 4 February 2014:

The latest phase of the European Commission's 'Generation Awake' campaign focuses on
the environmental, economic, social and personal consequences of using resources
unsustainably. The campaign aims to make consumers aware of the consequences their
consumption patterns have on natural resources, illustrating the benefits if they choose to
act differently.

Despite EU-wide recycling targets and successes in certain areas, Europe's waste is still a hugely under-used resource. A study prepared for the Commission estimates that full implementation of EU waste legislation would save EUR 72 billion a year, increase the annual turnover of the EU waste management and recycling sector by EUR 42 billion, and create over 400 000 new jobs by 2020.

The Generation Awake website invites visitors to discover the value of waste, showing how it can be reused, recycled, exchanged and repaired rather than being thrown away. A related Facebook page invites citizens to take up challenges like reducing food waste and cutting water use. Anyone can join in, and everyone is encouraged to spread the message: waste which cannot be avoided can become a valuable resource, and saving resources means saving money.

Illegal logging:

All the timber, wood and paper products we buy began life in a forest. And although much of our wood comes from well-managed forests, this is not the case for all of it. Illegal logging is still a big problem and is a major contributor to carbon emissions, the displacement of communities and the destruction of natural habitats.

You spend a third of your life in bed, but do you know where the wood came from?

February 4, 2014: Generation AWAKE Press Release
	IP-14-104_EN.pdf (71.14 KB)
Consumption Guide
	10.EN-Consumption_Guide.pdf (2.12 MB)
This is the official Fact Sheet for Generation AWAKE 2014
	en_Factsheet.pdf (689.53 KB)