Sustainable furniture that lasts
Local Government Procurement Review 2008

Margaret Larson, Director, Sustainable Furniture (UK) Ltd has been promoting the benefits of responsible sourcing for many years...

Nine countries currently possess some form of timber procurement policy at central government level. Although they are all very recent in implementation, the evidence already suggests that they are having a positive effect on increasing market share for verified legal and sustainable timber. Now the UK is to join those nine countries with Defra announcing a timber procurement policy, committing central government departments in England to buy only legally sourced timber and to actively seek to buy sustainable timber.

Many schools, even without any legislation, have been very conscious about procuring sustainably and have made purchases through our company - but only after much reassurance. My customers want to know where and how the wood is sourced and are interested in responsible and ethical sourcing. Children are even more concerned about this issue and schools, especially, should respect our children's futures.

Case studies
We have taken many orders from schools over the years, but here are a few more recent examples of school organisations that have made purchases through Sustainable Furniture (UK) and who have already been working towards a sustainable future:

Great Missenden Church of England School, Buckingham County Council purchased a beautiful tree seat which provides seating for many children - and also provides fantastic natural shade. Nigel James from Oxford College required some formal style outdoor seating and chose our beautiful York Benches to enhance the college's courtyard and more recently an order has been placed by Howard Jones of Sinfin Community School in Derby for eight picnic benches, each bench providing seating for at least six children. All Hallows School, East Cranmore purchased a Rose Garden bench. The Leventhorpe School, Sawbridgeworth purchased a round picnic bench suitable for at least eight students. The University of Teesside purchased picnic benches and parasols for its outdoor recreation area.

It's good to know that an ever increasing number of people are as passionate about sourcing quality legal timber and products as I am. Our concept for sustainability is not just sourcing ethically but also by ensuring the longevity in furniture and timber. If you use wood and the sustainable reasons for doing so are compelling, the product should last at least as long as it takes the tree to reach harvestable size again. Teak and UK grown Douglas Fir do just that.

Our most ethical, popular products are our Douglas Fir range of picnic benches which are manufactured from British grown timber and processed in the most environmentally friendly methods available. All the logs are from Devon and Cornwall FSC certified woodlands and are processed at a local sawmill. The finished picnic bench is treated with wood preservative, under controlled conditions by vacuum pressure technology using the latest environmentally safe Tanalith E from Arch Timber Protection. Tanalith E treated timber can be used for all applications in Hazard class 1 -4, internal and external, above and below ground use. These benches are heavy and extremely strong, suitable for schools, universities, colleges and other organisations. They have rounded edges and have an extremely smooth finish for comfort and health and safety reasons.

The more furniture we procure from re-afforested sustainable sources, the more trees will be planted to meet that demand and the more C02 will be absorbed - a simple green solution to reducing your carbon footprint. Sustainable Furniture (UK) also offers reclaimed timber products and other recycleable / sustainable alternatives for general indoor and outdoor school use.

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