Redwood resonates with green consumers Education turns *obstacl e" into asset

('\oNsuveRS LooKrNc ro "buy \-,green" olten need a little help sorting through hype in efforts to truly lowertheir carbon footprint. Increasingly, retailers are becoming the source of answers.

"Customers want to go green but don't always know what that means," says Clyde Jennings, president of J&W Lumber, Escondido, Ca. "We've established relationships with cus- tomers so they trust us, and we've put ourselves in the position to provide detailed information so customers can feel good about the products they're buying."

When it comes to selling redwood decking, a little education can go a long way.

"Many consumers are surprised to find that building with redwood is entirely consistent with green living," says Bob Mion, marketing director for the California Redwood Association. "But once they learn about the unsurpassed environmental standards in redwood forests and how redwood products can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the green attributes add to the redwood experience and consumers come away happier than ever about choosing redwood."

Redwood's green benefits are as natural as the wood itself. Trees. bv their nature, are a renewable resource. Plus, as they grow, trees absorb the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide from the air through photosynthesis. Trees release oxygen and store the carbon in wood fibers that ultimately become decking and fencing materials.

While there is in-depth science that details multiple levels of redwood's green performance, many retailers have found that customers respond to a relatively simple one-two punch of arguments.

"The renewable-resource aspect of the green story is important," says Jennings. "We hear so much about saving trees that consumers tend to forget that redwood lumber comes from sustainably managed forests. Knowing redwood forests are being conserved, with old trees preserved and harvested lands replanted, helps consumers connect with the redwood mystique. The redwood in their backyard is part of the natural cycle that goes back thousands of years and will endure thousands more."

While California boasts the toushest environmental regulations in lhe world and all redwood products come from California, most redwood pro-

Redwood

Naturally kautiful Easy to use

Practical and economical

Durable and stable Resistant to decay and insects

Ihe rounded woodm slats, ouersized armrests and inuiting slant-bach design idmtifu the cla,ssic Adironda,ch chair. Bom a cmtury ago in upstate Nat York, this chair quickly became a standardfixture at all kheside retreats and summer cantps.

To msure that this casually elegant chair suruiues for gennations t0 cnme, use lne of the all-beartuood grades of redwood: Deck Heart or Construction Heart, These grades are naturally resistant to insech and decay.

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S^\=raooP= ducers have taken the additional step of independently certifying their forestlands. Nearly 90Vo of lumberproducing redwood forests are certified to be well-managed and sustainable under the world's two largest independent certification programs, the Forest Stewardship Council and Sustainable Forestry Initiative.

"Renewability and sustainability are easy to demonstrate," says Mion. "The redwood region has done more to advance sustainable forestry than any other region of the world."

The second critical aspect to understanding redwood's green value centers on greenhouse gas emissions. Efforts are underway across the globe to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, with carbon being the gas in the spotlight, and using redwood is a natural choice for combating climate change.

"There's a serious push to reduce carbon emissions," says Mion. "When people talk about reducing their carbon footprint, they're talking about how much carbon it takes to produce, ship and use a product over the course of its life. Science has shown that since the energy to produce redwood comes from the sun, not burning fossil fuels, and because redwood lumber is about 50Va carbon by weight, using redwood can actually reduce carbon emissions."

Redwood's emission-reducing advantages can be more difficult to articulate, but can carry significant weight with consumers. Redwood's full carbon benefit comes from a combination of rapid growth, harvest and replanting efficiency, and energy consumption. Rather than engage in an indepth discussion of the carbon cycle, however, many retailers prefer to offer shorter explanations that focus on bottom-line impacts.

"The typical redwood deck stores more than a half-ton of carbon and it looks great doing it," says Jennings. "If customers are truly interested in reducing their carbon footprint, building a redwood deck can give them a carbon footprint they can stand on."

The CRA understands the importance of selling green and is changing their website accordingly. "The betterequipped retailers are to tell redwood's green story, the better they will be able to ride green momentum to higher redwood sales," Mion says. "We are enhancing our website to become a better resource to retailers and consumers on green building issues."

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Win with Redwood: Contest rewards dealers, d-i-yers

The California Redwood Association will give away a free picnic table to the do-it-yourselfer who builds the finest redwood chair, swing or planter, and present $1,000 to the lumber retailer who sells the winning redwood. The winner's creation also will be featured on the CRA website.

"We want retailers to know that we are enhancing our site to help make their customers successful with redwood," says Bob Mion, marketing director for the CRA. "We have these wonderful project plans that make it easy to build beautiful, long-lasting redwood furniture, decks and shade structures. The plans are free to retailers, and displaying them in-store can give consumers the confidence to choose redwood for upcoming outdoor enhancement projects."

The CRA has 14 different project plans available for in-store display or free download from its website and is building its how-to video library. The project plans include precise measurements, step-by-step instructions, and illustrations demonstrating key steps in the construction process. The website also includes tips for refinishing and restoring redwood decks, fences and furniture. To order free project plans to display in your store, email info@calredwood.org. (A sample is attached to this page.)

D-i-yers can enter photos of their Adirondack chair, Adirondack swing, or Petaluma planters online. The contest winner will receive a new picnic table to add to their redwood furniture collection, while the retailer that supplied the wood will receive a $1,000 bonus.

The CRA has made flyers promoting the contest available to retailers from www.calredwood. org. All entries must be submitted online at the site. Questions regarding the promotion can be directed to info@calredwood.org or Bob Mion at (916) 444-6592.