Final answer:
To determine if a wood product is harvested sustainably and legally, look for Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification or buy domestic wood species. However, it's important to consider that logging and forest management laws vary between countries.
Step-by-step explanation:
To ensure that a wood product, such as flooring, is harvested sustainably and legally, there are a few steps that can be taken. The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certifies sustainably harvested forest products, so looking for their certification on flooring and hardwood products is a reliable way to ensure legality and sustainability. It's also important to understand that certification applies to specific products, not to producers, so some products may not have certification while others do.
Another approach is to buy domestic wood species, as this reduces the risk of illegally harvested wood. However, it's essential to note that determining the legality of wood products can be complex as logging and forest management laws vary from country to country. What may be legal in one country may be illegal in another. It's always a good idea to ask questions about the wood product's origin and how the supplier ensures legal harvesting.