WHY IS THE E N V I R O N M E N T SO IMPORTANT TO US ?
AS A LOGGING COMPANY
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We are aware of the nature of our business. It is our responsibility to limit our environmental and socio-economic footprint by taking the right steps to ensure a more socially responsible operation for the future.
This is why we’ve chosen certification for our continuous improvement towards sustainable forest management. It is through this that we aim to guarantee the safety and moral implications of our products so that you can rest easy when buying from us. GWI aims to make sustainable forest management the utmost importance for our future.
We are a TRACER certified supplier of logs in Gabon!
About TRACER
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TRACER is an independent certification and traceability office made up of five (5) management structures divided between technical coordination, due diligence, traceability inspection, data entry and reporting and certification assistance. TRACER’s main missions can be summarized in these main points: filtering and accounting for 100% of the logs entering the Gabon Special Economic Zone (GSEZ) in order to ensure that only logs that have undergone a Due Diligence legality assessment are allowed to enter the zone, ensuring the traceability of logs from the forest to the processing plants in the GSEZ
GWI exercises due diligence at the appropriate level to exclude illegal timber from our supply. We signed up for NEPCon LegalSource certification for our logging operation and an audit is expected to be carried out within 2021.
Gabon Wood Industries has been certified FSC Chain of Custody. License Code FSC-C159482. This certificate allows Gabon Wood Industries to access the FSC Logo trademark portal/Label generator. The validity of the certificate is from 14/11/2020 to 12/11/2025.
View it here
SUSTAINABLE FOREST MANAGEMENT
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Sustainability is the key towards the consistent and reliable supply of wood in our future. Our environment plays a huge impact in the way we live. Thus, GWI takes sustainable forest management very seriously by ensuring environmental preservation according to FSC’s strict guidelines. These include dedicated waste management systems, prohibitions on wildlife hunting, and most importantly, logging site regulations and product traceability.
SUSTAINABLY MANAGED FORESTS
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Before we harvest any trees, its size and diameter are recorded precisely. We only stick to harvesting trees that are in a selective number of age and species so as to allow younger saplings to revive the forest in the coming years. This involves a complete cycle of identifying, harvesting and regenerating to allow a sustainable and environmentally friendly source of wood. Reduced Impact Logging (RIL) also plays a huge part in reducing any environmental damage we might cause. This includes careful extraction processes, transportation safety, skidding, and the construction / maintenance of roads.
PRODUCT TRACEABILITY
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Good product traceability allows our products to be tracked across the entire chain of supply, no matter how the timber is processed. This allows the consumer to be aware of the raw material’s origin and guarantees the safety of the product by detailing its journey through the entire process, ensuring safe operating methods and environmental responsibility.
OUR Z E R O W A S T E POLICY
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Our “Zero Waste” policy means that every part of the tree that we harvest is used in every possible way. Our unique eco-downstream furniture utilizes all parts of the tree including the stumps, branches, crotches and even rotten logs! We want to ensure that no part of the tree is wasted and left to impact the environment and its sanctity. We also use an eco-boiler for our kiln drying services that converts any waste we have into heat.
Check out how a single tree can be used to make all of our products!
CSR – CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
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Our workers’ safety, trust and future prospects is what allows our operations to keep thriving. This is why CSR is so important to us. Our employee’s children are entitled to free education under schools that we built; Hospitals and clinics have been erected nearby to attend to any pressing injury or sickness; All of our housing is equipped with free cable, water and electricity and we always aim to encourage local cultural festivities and tolerance among different religions. Our workers also get Sundays and public holidays off where we encourage them to rest, rejuvenate and spend time with their loved ones.
F O R T H E C O M M U N I T I E S
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GWI is conscious of our logging operations and actions that may affect the local communities who reside in the area. We aim to have a mutual respect for each other so as to benefit the local population as a whole. We do this by promoting a healthy understanding through dialogues with the population and contributing to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) projects.
FOR OUR WORKERS
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Our workers are the driving force in all things we do and we want to ensure we acknowledge them as such. Working in the forests and in the factories are no easy tasks. As such, we aim to provide the best Quality, Health, Safety and Environment Management (QHSE) within our workplace. These include providing First Aid seminars, raising safety and hygiene awareness when working with specialized machines and providing suitable PPE in the working environment.
TAKING CARE OF O U R W O R K E R S
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Our workers come from different parts of Gabon and all across the world. We take pride in ensuring that their needs are provided for , such as housing with water and electricity, transport, hospital aid, places of worship, sundry shops and other facilities. We also organize trainings and take the necessary steps to ensure the health and safety of the workplace. The positive encouragement we share in the work area is of utmost importance.
Here at GWI, we understand your concerns. We want to ensure that whatever product you buy from us is the highest quality possible, always sourced naturally and sustainably. With FSC certification, you can rest easy knowing that we are guaranteed to adhere to the strictest and most thorough of protocols, while always being vigilant of our impact on the environment. Your trust in us is our highest priority. With your help, our simultaneous work to conserve the forest as well as to sustain the market can be achieved.
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