FWPA consumer research has found that 2016 saw an increase in the number of people likely to choose wood over other materials – almost two thirds of Australians are likely to choose wood over other materials, where appropriate.
The research also found that the majority of Australians have recently been involved in a project, or plan to undertake a project. With 56 percent of consumers in the market for materials and a strong love of wood, the future looks promising for the industry. Love of wood has increased from 79 percent to 85 percent and the proportion of people who claim they would always/would be likely to choose wood over other materials has also increased from 57 percent to 62 percent.
Further to this, the research found that almost three quarters of Australians have a lot of natural wood in their work, home and life. Wood is increasingly being seen as easy to use, versatile and varied, and environmentally sustainable. In fact, the forest and wood products industry remains one of the most reliable sources of environmental information, according to the research. This put the industry alongside environmental groups in the top tier in terms of reliability. This may explain why support for timber harvesting and increased use of wood are at a record high.
