HARDWOOD
and
HARDWOODS

Timber has the potential to regenerate and provide an infinite supply for future generations. Wood is recyclable, waste efficient, biodegradable and non-toxic. The timber industry has a significant role to play in continuing to harvest and replant forests ensuring they are valued and not lost to agricultural or industrial use, consequently as an industry we are planting more trees than ever before. Worldwide increasing recognition of local forestry good practice is being endorsed by National Forest Policy.

Instances of well-managed sustainable timber production are widespread; however the limitations of existing certification schemes make it almost impossible to specify only certified timber. Certification may well be the key to future Environmental Policy specification; with this in mind we have contacted our suppliers to seek clarification of the measures they are taking to promote sustainable productions. In most instances clear assurances have been forthcoming. This is in line with the government commissioned public procurement strategy, aimed at progressive improvement to establish that timber is derived from legal sources (a minimum requirement) and is harvested in a sustainable way under an inclusive approach recognising a range of certification schemes. These include the Pan European Forest Certification Scheme, Forest Stewardship Council and Sustainable Forestry Initiatives.

Sykes Timber has chain of custody certification for F.S.C. as well as P.E.F.C. schemes; please ask for further details.

Sykes Timber has taken the initiative with a number of replanting programmes which to date has involved planting over 25,000 trees, mostly native Broadleaves, on four separate locations comprising mature woodland and new planting. These Native Woodland holdings are owned and managed directly by us as sustainable forestry operations, working to high standards of silviculture and with careful consideration to matters of animal welfare and bio diversity. We recycle wood waste for heating and power and have minimised the use of fossil fuels. Selected wood waste is segregated and re-cycled for animal bedding. We have upgraded our storage sheds and mill areas with modern high quality translucent roofing panels to further reduce energy consumption. We make extensive use of natural air drying techniques to minimise the energy required for the final kilning process.

Sykes Timber holds large stocks and selects carefully to customers' specifications to keep wastage/overage of timber as low as is possible. We avoid the use of non-recyclable packaging material unless absolutely essential and run our own range of delivery vehicles ensuring our transport fleet is run in an economic and environmentally sensitive manner.