How wood products help us breathe by storing carbon

Did you know that carbon makes up half the biomass of wood? Every year, wood products keep millions of tonnes of CO2 out of the atmosphere. Quick-Step explains how.

Quick-Step wood helps us breathe

A forest at home

Think of trees as botanic vacuum cleaners. Through photosynthesis, they absorb carbon dioxide (CO2)—rising levels of CO2 are a major cause of climate change—and keep it stored. Only when a tree rots or burns does it release the carbon back into the atmosphere.

However, if a tree is harvested and manufactured into furniture, floors or building material, the carbon remains confined inside the wood product throughout its lifetime. In fact, if wood consumption in Europe rose by only 4%, an additional 150 million tonnes of CO2 would be stored in wood products every year*.

Recycling carbon

Depending on how you dispose of it, a wood product can still keep carbon stored after its lifetime has ended. How? Through recycling or reuse! For instance, by opting for reclaimed wood—the timber retrieved from old floors, barns, railroad sleepers, etc.—you’ll continue to keep the atmosphere cleaner.

Low ecological footprint

Besides storing carbon, wood products also go through a low-energy production and manufacturing process. This means that, compared to other materials, wood products have a much lower ‘carbon footprint’.

In short: wood as a construction material provides a greener solution in the fight against climate change.