Responsible barbecue: Light your fire with 100% FSC certified Bulgarian pine sticks
In June, BFT Trading Ltd. based in the Bulgarian capital of Sofia, received an FSC certificate covering the company’s production of fire lighting sticks. Called Bulgarian Borina, the product is entirely made of wood from Black Pines growing in FSC-certified state forests in Bulgaria. The certificate was issued based on an FSC chain of custody assessment conducted by NEPCon.
Dr. Andrzej Czech, NEPCon’s lead assessor involved in the certification process, comments: “This is a very special product with several interesting qualities: It is made of 100% certified raw material, and is clearly environmentally superior to similar chemicals-based products on the market. And since it is a low-cost ordinary household commodity, it even has a good potential of raising awareness about the benefits of FSC certification among consumers”.
With its unusually high contents of natural resin, Black Pine wood has been used to light fires in Bulgaria for centuries. The resin in the wood is highly combustible, igniting immediately when lit and burning fiercely. The Borina sticks are collected by local people and sold on traditional markets in small bundles all over Bulgaria in the autumn and winter.
According to BFT Trading, by using Bulgarian Borina for lighting your BBQ or campfire, you can even reduce the carbon footprint of the ignition process by up to 35% compared to the CO2 release by kerosene-based products.
The company also assures buyers that the product has an additional advantage over petrol chemical products: It has a very pleasant and fragrant smell – the smell of natural resin.
Alliance with NGO for export
Currently, BFT Trading is concentrating on introducing the Borina fire lighting sticks to the UK, known as one of Europe’s most environmentally aware markets when it comes to wood products. The company has formed an alliance with the English NGO ‘The Tree Council’ which supports the introduction of the product on the UK market.
The company donates 10 pence to The Tree Council for every package of Borina firelighters sold. The cardboard product packages, which are made of 100% recycled materials, will carry the logo of The Tree Council, well known among UK consumers.
The Tree Council works for the planting and caring for trees, including the preservation of ancient trees. Acting as an umbrella organization for 150 organizations, The Tree Council is the leading UK campaigning partnership on tree-related issues.
BFT Trading Ltd collects and processes enough Borina to meet current demands for the UK market. With the FSC certificate in place and the support of The Tree Council, production manager Mr. Michael Barnes believes that there is scope for future expansion of the production: “Initially, we hope to set our foot firmly on the UK market. Depending on demands and the successful introduction of our product in the UK, we may move to other markets later on”.
Benefits for Bulgarian villagers
Borina is found in the stumps and roots of black pine that have been cut for other purposes and it is good if they have remained in the ground for at least five years in order to dry properly. Once the stump is dry enough and the resin level high, you can collect it and use it. It is also abundant in trees damaged by lightning (the resin secretion being a natural self- healing reaction of the tree.
Borina is hand cropped, hand chipped and hand packed. Buyers of the firelighters will thus not only help to sustain a healthy and biologically diverse forest environment in Bulgaria, but also to create employment in the country’s rural villages. Barnes notes: “If we are successful in finding a good business partner in the UK, we will immediately be able to create new employment opportunities for hundreds of villagers”.
Made entirely out of wood from certified forests, Bulgarian Borina sticks will be sold carrying the FSC-Pure label. The registration code of the certificate is SW-COC-002420.
Contact
BFT Trading Ltd: Product manager - Michael Barnes, Tel: 00359 2 953 0047, fax: 00359 2 953 0061, mobile: 00359 899931926, e-mail: michael@bps-bg.com.
BFT Trading Ltd: Director - Nikolay Trifonov, Tel: 00359 29625741, fax: 00359 29625740, mobile: 00359 888627329, email office@bft-trading.com
NEPCon: Lead assessor Andrzej Czech, mobile: + 48 601 91 29 65, e-mail: ac@nepcon.net. |
