Timber

Timber can be key to sustainable build. It has a life span that can be extended through re-use and recycling; there is no other commonly used building material that requires so little energy to produce.

Sustainable Building Resource

Timber is naturally renewable, strong and easily recyclable, offering a simple way to reduce CO2 emissions, thanks to:

• The carbon sink effect of the forests.
• The carbon storage effect of wood products.
• Substitution for carbon-intensive materials: every cubic metre of timber used as a substitute for other building materials reduces CO2 emissions to the atmosphere by an average of 1.1 tonnes, plus a further 0.9 tonnes of CO2 stored in the timber.

Procurement

Timber and timber products form a significant part of Jewson's activities; it is therefore imperative that we take an informed approach to responsible timber procurement.

Our policy is to purchase wherever possible from well managed forest sources. However, we do recognise that some areas of the world represent greater environmental risk than others in respect of timber harvesting. Jewson engages in a "step-wise" approach to timber procurement. This is designed to move, over time, away from non-certified products towards products certified under FSC™, PEFC or similar standards.

Where customer demands require timber from areas of greater risk, our approach is only to work with suppliers who can demonstrate an improving programme of sustainability in their timber-related activities.

Chain of Custody Timber

Chain of Custody is a process that, using independent auditing, rigorously documents and tracks certified timber from the forest to final point of purchase.

The process tracks timber through each stage of the supply chain, from felling through milling, transportation, import, distribution and finally to the point of use. This provides a level of transparency and traceability to guarantee compliance with demands for ethically sourced timber products.

Timber that qualifies for Chain of Custody certification is sourced from "legal and sustainable" forests. It guarantees that timber has been harvested legally and as part of an overall forest management system. Each piece of timber or order is coded uniquely to prove that it originates from a sustainable forest.

Environmental Timber Policy

An integral part of our program for continuous improvement us our activity and association with relevant organisations. For example we are members of the WWF-UK Forest and Trade Network.

Download our Environmental Timber Policy.

Certification

Jewson has obtained certification for all its branches for ®FSC chain of custody, Trada forest products chain and PEFC chain of custody. Click the thumb nails below to view the certificates.