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Timber - The Sustainable Building Product

• Corporate Responsibility
• Timber - The Sustainable Building Product
• The Sustainable Building Center
• Health and Safety Initiatives
• Waste and Recycling
• Charitable Work

Chain of Custody

Chain of Custody is the unbroken path that products take from the forest to the consumer, including all stages of manufacturing, transportation and distribution. Chain of Custody certification provides evidence that the certified product originates from certified, well-managed forests, and verifies that these products are not mixed with products from uncertified forests at any point in the supply chain. An independent, accredited body assesses each process the timber passes through to ensure that the control system meets the strict requirements of the certification scheme. Chain of Custody certification is the only way we can prove to our customers that the timber we are supplying is from a legal and sustainable source.

Wolseley UK has held multi-site chain of custody certification for its Build Center brand since January 2004. The Wolseley UK Chain of Custody programme has seen a continuous increase in the number of branches awarded certification by BM Trada, stocking over 4,000 certified products. The company now offers chain of custody products through a nationwide network of more than 100 certified branches, and intends all 250 Build Center branches be certified.

FSC approved plywood

Build Center is now the UK's leading distributor of Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) approved plywood.

Wolseley UK has been aware of concerns about the sustainability of hardwood elements in plywood for some years. The company has reduced its supplier list to ensure complete traceability of product. Many accounts have been suspended indefinitely until evidence is given that products meet government (CPET) 'legal' standards. In September 2003, Wolseley UK ceased the importation of Indonesian hardwood plywood, and in October 2005 the company responded to doubts about the provenance of plywood from Chinese mills by ceasing purchases from that country. Brazil was the most recent country to be rejected as a plywood supplier in early 2006, due to environmental concerns over its supply chain.

Responsible Purchasing Policy (RPP)

Wolseley UK has worked in partnership with the Timber Trade Federation since 2004 to develop the Responsible Purchasing Policy for Timber. This is a system of risk assessing suppliers that enables buyers of timber products to assess the legal and sustainable status of that timber. This is particularly important where timber comes from forest locations where certification schemes are not widely in place - Asia Pacific, South America, West Africa etc. The trial has proven to be a success. The Timber Trade Federation has given full backing to the scheme, and will recommend that all its members adopt the RPP process in future. The UK Government has recognised the RPP as an excellent example of industry good practice in helping to source legal and sustainable timber.

Wolseley UK is also in partnership with Track Record, an independent third party verifier, to scrutinise its existing and potential timber supply chain.

Case Study - Countryside Properties

Wolseley UK's Build Center won a contract to supply timber to Countryside Properties' Sadlers Park development of 300 houses and apartments at Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent. Countryside Properties was named 'Sustainable Housebuilder of the Year' at the 2005 Building Sustainability Awards and the ability of Wolseley UK to supply Chain of Custody timber was key to the awarding of this contract.

Certified branches now guarantee that timber products they supply are from responsibly managed and sustainable forest sources. This includes softwood, plywood, panel products such as particle and fibre boards, as well as engineered wood products such as I-beams.