MHS has a responsibility to the long-term protection of the world’s forest resources. We are after all, a fourth generation family company who realise the importance of well managed forests for the future of our business and future generations.

To this end, we were the first timber importer in the North East of England to be accredited with FSC and PEFC chain of custody (2004), followed by SFI and CSA chain of custody (2005). This has allowed trade with several national merchants, government bodies and other organisations, delivering certified timber throughout the U.K.

We are committed to purchasing timber from suppliers who comply with these schemes, and all of our employees involved in purchasing timber are fully trained in the correct procedures to ensure we adhere to the requirements of these schemes.

We are supporters of the Forest Forever campaign, an initiative introduced by the British timber industry to help safeguard the forests of the world by improved management, responsible trading and promoting the positive environmental aspects of using timber. Forest Forever recommends a clause to be used in contracts that ensures suppliers provide assurances that their timber is from well-managed forests.

As well as our purchasing commitments, MHS are also committed to national environmental legislation.

All of our wood waste is recycled to either animal bedding or manufactured to composite wood based boards. Metal bands are separated and taken by a local recycling operator. Our purchasing of packaging materials is continuously monitored and kept to a minimum without compromising quality.

In March 2007, we further committed ourselves to improving our environmental performance by joining with Envirowise on a Supply Chain Partnership project. The aims of this project are to reduce our use of raw materials and packaging, minimising waste disposal costs, and improving energy efficiencies.