05.07.10
B&Q LEADS THE WAY FOR RESPONSIBLY SOURCED TIMBER
With the news that illegal timber is finally set to be banned in the EU
from 2012 under an agreement reached by EU member states, B&Q, a leader
in offering responsibly sourced timber, is delighted with the decision,
which will level the playing field within the retail sector and help ensure
the preservation of the Word’s forests.
B&Q currently sells more than 13,000 different products made from or containing wood (from those visibly wooden like garden furniture and kitchens, to those that don’t obviously contain timber such as bath frames and curtain tie-back inserts - where the timber can’t be seen.)
B&Q became a founding partner of the gold standard of timber certification, FSC (Forest Stewardship Council), in the early nineties and has increased the volume of responsibly sourced timber to just over 90 per cent, up from 74 per cent two years ago – this is industry leading.
Euan Sutherland, CEO of B&Q and Kingfisher UK says:
“We’ve been leading the industry with our responsible timber sourcing policies for many years and are able to trace the origin of our timber products right to the tree in the forest that it came from. This means our customers can be assured they are buying responsibly sourced timber and we are currently talking to them about how we can make it easier for them to understand this.”
B&Q has been recognized by Greenpeace for leadership in this area.* Currently just over 90% of its timber products are traceable to proven, well-managed sources and the retailer is striving to better this all the time.
Ian Duff Greenpeace Forest Campaigner said:
“This new law is a great step towards closing the trade in illegal timber into Europe. It promises to level the playing field so that customers no longer have to rely on the good will of a few legitimate companies committed to acting sustainably.”
For more information please contact:
Zaria Pinchbeck at ZPR on 0207 896 3404 or email bandq@z-pr.com