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Sample questions to ask wood and paper suppliers

BRATTLEBORO — Good questions can be a major part of a due-care plan for a business owner. Elizabeth Baldwin, environmental compliance officer at Metropolitan Hardwood Floors, provides the following examples:

• What kind of legal wood compliance program do you have? How long has it been in place? Do you have a compliance officer? If not, how is the program supervised?

• Where do you buy your products? How do you control that purchasing?

• Do you, as an importer, have people on the ground in the country you're importing from? Does anyone in the company speak the language of the country?

• What certifications do you have, and if they are product certifications, do you actually have stock available within that program?

• What actions do you take to stay current and informed about sustainable forest product sourcing?

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