Environment

As a user of a renewable resource, we are very aware of the requirement to look after our environment. Without a healthy environment and sustainable forestry management we will have no timber!

As members of the Timber Trade Federation we are signatories to the mandatory Responsible Purchasing Policy. We undertake risk assessments of our timber purchases, this checks our suppliers and ensures that we rule out any risk of illegally produced timber entering into the supply chain.  Low risk timber is where there is a low risk of illegal timber entering the supply chain due to a strong system of regulatory control in the country of origin or the species is from a low risk source such as a plantation. All of our timber has been risk-assessed in accordance with the TTF’s RPP commitments.

The RPP meets the requirements of the European Timber Regulations (EUTR) which came into place on 6 March 2013.

Please click on the logo below for our RPP certificate.

Our Environmental, Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility Policy

Introduction

Our Environmental, Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility Policy is based on the following key principles:

  • To ensure sustainability plays a key role in our business decision making
  • To engage our employees in promoting, executing and improving our policy
  • To engage, encourage and work with local charity and community groups
  • To promote to all customers and suppliers and to encourage them to adopt sound sustainable management practices.

Areas of action and practical steps

  1. Travel

We will:

  • Actively encourage employees to consider car share when travelling to work, and to offsite meetings, where it is practical and cost-effective
  • Use the train for European travel where appropriate
  • Avoid travelling to client and supplier meetings when other alternative methods are available and practical; such as email, telephone and webcam. Where meetings are necessary, all attempts will be made to plan similar meetings in the same location to prevent multiple journeys
  • Make allowances for employees to work from home where and when appropriate.
  1. Sales and purchasing

We will:

  • Where possible reduce the purchase of all office consumables, including paper, and identify other opportunities to reduce office waste
  • Recycle office paper, computers, ink cartridges and other office equipment where possible
  • Aim to reduce the office energy consumption by purchasing energy efficient equipment and energy saving labels, and by good housekeeping
  • Review the life-cycle of all products bought and sold and the environmental aspects and potential impacts associated with the manufacture, use and disposal of the product.
  1. Design and build

We will recycle and reuse as many elements as possible, to reduce waste and extend product life through multiple ownership. This can be achieved through hire part hire, or part purchase.

We will ensure that raw materials such as wood and ply are either recycled or sourced from sustainable sources.

To date the following actions are in place:

  • Sawdust and shavings are recycled to the animal bedding and biomass industries
  • Waste side slabs of timber are chipped for the biomass industry
  • Small offcuts are sold for domestic firewood, as well as being shredded for biomass.
  • We generate approximately 24% of our annual electricity usage using photovoltaic panels.
  1. Carbon footprint

We will endeavour to find the most cost-effective and sustainable solution for our clients, whilst maintaining our high levels of service and working practices. This can be achieved by using local labour and suppliers/manufacturers.

  1. Landfill

We are actively committed to reduce our waste to landfill.

To date the following actions are in place:

  • Timber that is not clean and cannot be recycled is collected by a specialist waste management company
  • Paper and card products are recycled and collected by a specialist waste management company.
  1. Supporting charities and the local community

We appreciate the importance of charity organisations within the local community. Where possible, we will support them by offering products and services at cost, on loan, or free of charge at our discretion. In return, we may ask the charity or organisation to add a link to our website from their site.

  1. Suppliers and other stakeholders

As part of our ethical and sustainability strategy we will encourage, where possible, our suppliers and other stakeholders to ensure that they are making attempts to replicate our own working practices. This can include requests to change product materials from existing to those that are more environmentally friendly, recyclable or sustainable. Where suppliers are importing products we request proof of province to ensure that human rights have not been breached.

We work closely with our suppliers and encourage business partnerships rather than traditional customer supplier relationships.