A new report has set out an action plan to help the timber window sector use its materials and processes more efficiently and reduce the amount of waste it sends to landfill.
The report is one of four Supply Chain Sector Guidance Notes produced by BE AWARE, a research project part-funded by the Government’s Technology Strategy Board, run by a consortium of industry bodies, including the BWF and the Construction Products Association, and managed by BRE. It used life cycle assessment data to analyse the products and investigate opportunities to reduce the amount of waste generated. These initial findings were then explored further in workshop sessions with industry representatives. The timber window sector workshop took place at Members’ Day last year.
The action plan covers five areas:
While the project focused on windows, many of its conclusions apply equally to other joinery products. The BWF, as the main industry partner within the consortium, will begin to address the specific elements of the action plan on behalf of the timber window sector. This has already started through the promotion of Chain of Custody certification through the Total Support Service and recent work on life cycle assessment, and is continuing through a scoping study to investigate the potential for a recycling network.
The sector guidance note and other BE AWARE publications can be downloaded from the BE www.bre.co.uk/page.jsp?id=707).