Timber Purchasing Policy

The company recognises its responsibility to the environment, the company’s customers, suppliers and staff. We will base our commercial activities on sourcing forest products from certified, well-managed forests or from post-consumer recycled materials.

The company is committed to identify the source of all wood used as an input to its business, whether for re-sale, own consumption, or in the manufacturer of its products, and to taking all reasonable measures to ensure that material as listed below shall not be purchased by the company.

• The source forest is known or suspected of containing high conservation values, except where the forest is certified or in progress to certification under a credible certification system or the forest manager can otherwise demonstrate that the forest and/or surrounding landscape is managed to ensure those values are maintained.
• The source forest is being actively converted from natural forest to a plantation or other land use, unless the conversion is justified on grounds of net social and environmental gain, including the enhancement of high conservation values in the surrounding landscape.
• The material was illegally harvested or traded.
• The material was traded in a way that drives violent armed conflict or threatens national or regional stability (i.e. what is commonly called timber).
• The harvesting or processing entity, or a related political or military regime, is violating human, civil and traditional rights.
• The material is sourced from genetically modified trees.
• The source forest is unknown.

To this end all suppliers of non certified timber will be required fill in a ‘Timber Source Questionnaire’ to accurately identify the forest of origin.

The company will regularly:

• Scrutinise all suppliers of forest products for all purchases of goods for resale, not for resale and in all new construction activities.
• Seek information on the source of the wood, fibre or other forest materials in the products we purchase and the circumstances under which they were harvested.
• Seek information on the chain of custody of the forest products we purchase, including the circumstances under which they were manufactured and traded.
• Evaluate chain-of-custody information against this policy and supporting operational procedures.
• Continually improve the level of compliance with these policies, using annual reviews, reports and actions agreed upon with our suppliers.
• Work with and encourage suppliers and forest sources that are actively engaged, in a process of transparent, stepwise commitment to credible certification.
• Work with key stakeholders to ensure that best practice is followed.
• Maximize the use of post-consumer recycled timber.

This company recognises that the independent certification of forests and the process chain is the most useful tool in providing assurances that the timber comes from legal and well managed forests.  The company will only accept or use labels or certificates which include environmental or sustainability claims if these are supported by publicly available standards drawn up in a fully participatory transparent and objective manner and backed by independent inspection.

The company has appointed a Director responsible for this policy and will ensure that environmental issues relevant to the policy are discussed regularly at the highest level of management. A senior manager is also appointed to oversee the implementation of the policy. The company will ensure that all employees associated with timber purchasing are encouraged to act in accordance with this policy and are given appropriate education and training to do so if required.

The company will measure its performance in accordance with this policy and strive for continuous improvement

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