Supplier Projects

One of DLH’s most important tools to improve environmental performances is our assistance to and cooperation with suppliers in obtaining independent third party verification of legality and full certification for sustainability. 

For DLH, such projects are fundamental to ensure a constant flow of verified legal and/or sustainable timber and wood products in our supply chain.

The third party verification projects are also essential for both DLH and our suppliers to comply with the importing countries’ requirements for proof of legal origin, which to an increasing extent are mandated by government legislation, such as the American Lacey Act, and no longer just based on voluntary options.

Read Rainforest Alliance’s article about our work with legal verification projects to ensure that the wood and wood products we source are of legal origin and how this has proven to be an effective tool for working toward the overall goal of sustainability. Download the article here:

South East Asia

The first project was launched in Malaysia (Borneo) in 2006. Since then, the interest among suppliers to engage in such projects has continued to grow. From 2008 and 2009 the number of suppliers enrolled in third party verification projects increased with nearly 27% percent. Today, all major suppliers in the Malaysian province of Sabah are enrolled in VLO (verification of legal origin) projects.


Did you know that ...

• Former DLH Malaysia was the first company in the world to be verified under the Rainforest Alliance's Verification of Legal Origin program (VLO) in October 2006.
  
• Former DLH Malaysia was the first company in the world to offer customers VLC products verified by Rainforest Alliance.
  
• Former DLH Malaysia has assisted two major forest owners in Malaysia to prepare for obtaining Rainforest Alliance's Verified Legal Compliance status (VLC), which is the next step towards full FSC certification after VLO. The forests were succesfully audited against the VLC standard in spring 2010.
  
• DLH Indonesia has assisted two suppliers in obtaining Rainforest Alliance’s VLO certification including Chain of Custody certification.
  
• DLH Indonesia has been the first company worldwide to offer our customers Merbau with VLO certificate from Indonesia. 
  
• DLH Indonesia has 3 FSC suppliers, supplying FSC Bangkirai Decking and tiles, FSC Red Meranti mouldings and dowels, and FSC Red Meranti Gluelam.
  
• DLH asisted a supplier in obtaining the first ever VLO certificate in the Philippines in 2008.
  
• DLH is one of the largest suppliers of FSC-certified wood of the garden furniture industry in Vietnam.

South America

DLH Brazil cooperates with a number of different Brazilian suppliers to obtain third party verification of legal origin. The implementation of the VLO projects is governed by the organization The Forest Trust and is partly financed by timber trade federations in Holland, Belgium the UK and the EU under the Timber Trade Action Plan (TTAP) programme.