The Bigger Picture
Circular Construction
We are often asked to explain why we are so passionate about reclaiming and upcycling tropical hardwood timber in the UK. To answer this question, one has to stand back and look at the bigger picture. Pull back from this fast, consumer-based planet we live in today.
At Ashwells we believe that for the resources to continue to sustain us we must look at what we have available before us; before we draw more from this beautiful planet.
Many years ago, the UK imported timber from around the world, stripping forests in Southeast Asia, Australia, West Africa, and Brazil, to name a few. These trees had taken hundreds of years to achieve the growth they had, maturing so slowly in the heat, that the grain was extremely dense, and exceptionally durable. This majestic timber was transported back to the UK and used to build the infrastructure around the country.
Over recent years this timber has been replaced, and we have strived to reclaim as much as possible so that a second use can be found. Why? Remember these timbers are hundreds of years old and due to the durability are able to be used repeatedly. Every piece has a story to tell and when cut, displays the most beautiful colours.
The Bigger Picture
Timber waste compliance
Those responsible for the management, renovation or demolition of structures should be aware of the legal obligations relating to timber waste.
The Bigger Picture
Material selection
Those responsible for material selection should take action to accelerate the use of sustainably produced reclaimed wood and source through certified schemes such as the Forest Stewardship Council to help ensure healthy, resilient forests for generations to come.
The Bigger Picture
Illegal logging
Illegal logging is a major contributor to the global problem of deforestation. Tackling illegal logging and the associated trade is a very complex issue that is often linked with failures of governance. As the fourth largest net importer of timber and timber products, the UK Government has in the past taken a range of actions to address this issue. Procurement is among others, one way of using market forces to achieve an incentive towards more sustainable behaviour.
The Bigger Picture
The UK Government’s Timber Procurement Policy
The UK Government’s timber procurement policy has moved towards sustainable timber as a minimum. It now requires that only timber and wood derived products originating from either ‘legal and sustainable’ sources or from a licensed FLEGT partner or equivalent, will be demanded for use on the Government estate.
This policy is mandatory for all Central Government Departments, their Executives Agencies and Non-Departmental Public Bodies. Autonomous organisations that receive public funding are also encouraged to adopt this policy. The Central Point of Expertise on Timber Procurement (CPET) supports Defra in implementing this policy, by providing support to public buyers and their suppliers, free of charge, through training, a helpline, and a website.
The Bigger Picture
The European Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade
European Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade (FLEGT) Action Plans aims to address illegal logging in tropical timber producer countries. It contributes to achieving the wider objective of sustainable forest management and promotes good governance in the forestry sector including through using the EU public sector’s buying power to stimulate the international markets for legal timber.
Key features of the Plan are the bilateral Voluntary Partnership Agreements (VPAs). VPAs are signed with the aim of ensuring that specific timber products exported to the EU from the partner countries have been legally produced. The first VPA was signed with Ghana in September 2008 and five other countries are currently negotiating agreements. Further guidance on FLEGT-licensed timber will be available on the CPET website as it becomes available.
The Bigger Picture
UK Local authorities
CPET together with WWF-UK and the Timber Trade Federation (TTF) focus particularly on Local Authorities who account for the purchase of between 20 and 30% of the timber products in the UK.
It is hoped that, if the public sector as a whole is requesting sustainable timber, it will send an even stronger message to the timber product markets and that it will be easier for suppliers to comply with a more harmonised set of criteria.
Illegal Disposal of tropical timber
Timber Waste Compliance
The European and UK waste regulations aim to reduce the amount of reusable timber that ends up in landfill, chipped or – as in the case for much ex-marine timber – being burnt due to its high level of metal contaminants.
It is against the law to throw away, burn or compost reusable timber (EU Waste Framework Directive 2008, UK Waste Regulations 2011)
The Environment Agency also mandates that preservative-treated timber is classified as hazardous waste (Group D) and therefore: cannot be burnt and carries a premium when disposed of to tip.
Contact Us
Contact us today to find out how we can handle your timber reclamation compliance needs.
01375 892 576
info@ashwelltimber.com
FSC® Certification
Chain of custody certification
The Forest Stewardship Council® is a global certification system that promotes responsible timber reclamation and procurement best practice.
Chain of custody certification is how the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC®) verifies that forest-based materials produced according to rigorous standards used along the product’s path from the forest to becoming finished goods.
The FSC® label on a finished product signals that the materials used during production have met the chain of custody requirements at every step in the supply chain, from sourcing to distribution.
Why choose an FSC® certified reclamation and reuse contractor?
By choosing an FSC® certified reclamation partner such as Ashwells you show that your project salvage policies comply with the highest sustainability standards.
To qualify for chain of custody certification Ashwells must implement a management system that ensures the following.
- The forest-based materials we use in part, or all of your production are FSC®-certified. This includes reclaimed materials.
- FSC®-certified material is identified and tracked during the manufacturing and distribution processes.
- All documents and records relating to FSC®-certified product production, purchase, and sales are kept.
We must also meet FSC®’s core labour requirements, including:
- no child or forced labour;
- no discrimination in employment and occupation;
- freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining.
Annual Audit
To maintain FSC® certification status we are audited annually by a third-party, accredited certification body. During this rigorous process an assessor assess Ashwells continued conformance to chain of custody certification.
The Bigger Picture
Circular Construction
We are often asked to explain why we are so passionate about reclaiming and upcycling tropical hardwood timber in the UK. To answer this question, one has to stand back and look at the bigger picture. Pull back from this fast, consumer-based planet we live in today.
At Ashwells we believe that for the resources to continue to sustain us we must look at what we have available before us; before we draw more from this beautiful planet.
Many years ago, the UK imported timber from around the world, stripping forests in Southeast Asia, Australia, West Africa, and Brazil, to name a few. These trees had taken hundreds of years to achieve the growth they had, maturing so slowly in the heat, that the grain was extremely dense, and exceptionally durable. This majestic timber was transported back to the UK and used to build the infrastructure around the country.
Over recent years this timber has been replaced, and we have strived to reclaim as much as possible so that a second use can be found. Why? Remember these timbers are hundreds of years old and due to the durability are able to be used repeatedly. Every piece has a story to tell and when cut, displays the most beautiful colours.
The Bigger Picture
Timber waste compliance
Those responsible for the management, renovation or demolition of structures should be aware of the legal obligations relating to timber waste.
The Bigger Picture
Material selection
Those responsible for material selection should take action to accelerate the use of sustainably produced reclaimed wood and source through certified schemes such as the Forest Stewardship Council to help ensure healthy, resilient forests for generations to come.
The Bigger Picture
Illegal logging
Illegal logging is a major contributor to the global problem of deforestation. Tackling illegal logging and the associated trade is a very complex issue that is often linked with failures of governance. As the fourth largest net importer of timber and timber products, the UK Government has in the past taken a range of actions to address this issue. Procurement is among others, one way of using market forces to achieve an incentive towards more sustainable behaviour.
The Bigger Picture
The UK Government’s Timber Procurement Policy
The UK Government’s timber procurement policy has moved towards sustainable timber as a minimum. It now requires that only timber and wood derived products originating from either ‘legal and sustainable’ sources or from a licensed FLEGT partner or equivalent, will be demanded for use on the Government estate.
This policy is mandatory for all Central Government Departments, their Executives Agencies and Non-Departmental Public Bodies. Autonomous organisations that receive public funding are also encouraged to adopt this policy. The Central Point of Expertise on Timber Procurement (CPET) supports Defra in implementing this policy, by providing support to public buyers and their suppliers, free of charge, through training, a helpline, and a website.
The Bigger Picture
The European Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade
European Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade (FLEGT) Action Plans aims to address illegal logging in tropical timber producer countries. It contributes to achieving the wider objective of sustainable forest management and promotes good governance in the forestry sector including through using the EU public sector’s buying power to stimulate the international markets for legal timber.
Key features of the Plan are the bilateral Voluntary Partnership Agreements (VPAs). VPAs are signed with the aim of ensuring that specific timber products exported to the EU from the partner countries have been legally produced. The first VPA was signed with Ghana in September 2008 and five other countries are currently negotiating agreements. Further guidance on FLEGT-licensed timber will be available on the CPET website as it becomes available.
The Bigger Picture
UK Local authorities
CPET together with WWF-UK and the Timber Trade Federation (TTF) focus particularly on Local Authorities who account for the purchase of between 20 and 30% of the timber products in the UK.
It is hoped that, if the public sector as a whole is requesting sustainable timber, it will send an even stronger message to the timber product markets and that it will be easier for suppliers to comply with a more harmonised set of criteria.
The Bigger Picture
Timber Waste Compliance
The European and UK waste regulations aim to reduce the amount of reusable timber that ends up in landfill, chipped or – as in the case for much ex-marine timber – being burnt due to its high level of metal contaminants.
It is against the law to throw away, burn or compost reusable timber (EU Waste Framework Directive 2008, UK Waste Regulations 2011)
The Environment Agency also mandates that preservative-treated timber is classified as hazardous waste (Group D) and therefore: cannot be burnt and carries a premium when disposed of to tip.
Contact Us
Contact us today to find out how we can handle your timber reclamation compliance needs.
01375 892 576
The Bigger Picture
Chain of custody certification
The Forest Stewardship Council® is a global certification system that promotes responsible timber reclamation and procurement best practice.
Chain of custody certification is how the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC®) verifies that forest-based materials produced according to rigorous standards used along the product’s path from the forest to becoming finished goods.
The FSC® label on a finished product signals that the materials used during production have met the chain of custody requirements at every step in the supply chain, from sourcing to distribution.
Why choose an FSC® certified reclamation and reuse contractor?
By choosing an FSC® certified reclamation partner such as Ashwells you show that your project salvage policies comply with the highest sustainability standards.
To qualify for chain of custody certification Ashwells must implement a management system that ensures the following.
- The forest-based materials we use in part, or all of your production are FSC®-certified. This includes reclaimed materials.
- FSC®-certified material is identified and tracked during the manufacturing and distribution processes.
- All documents and records relating to FSC®-certified product production, purchase, and sales are kept.
We must also meet FSC®’s core labour requirements, including:
- no child or forced labour;
- no discrimination in employment and occupation;
- freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining.
Annual Audit
To maintain FSC® certification status we are audited annually by a third-party, accredited certification body. During this rigorous process an assessor assess Ashwells continued conformance to chain of custody certification.
Practical CPD guides for landscape architects, urban designers, civil & marine engineers, and contractors.
Gain the know-how to effectively reclaim and specify reclaimed timber in future projects.