Two more companies have joined Stone Federation UK’s Ethical Stone Register. The Ethical Stone Register is described as a “unique resource created specifically for the natural stone industry, in response to The Modern Slavery Act 2015 and the issues of sourcing materials responsibly”. The project is designed to allow Stone Federation members, whatever their size, to offer a responsible and manageable ethical sourcing solution to their clients.
There are three tiers of membership of the Register: declaration, verification and accreditation. At the declaration tier, companies must complete a questionnaire examining the sourcing practices of their business. To achieve this level, the company needs to meet 100% of the criteria, although the claims made at this level are self-declared only. At the verification tier, on the other hand, a company’s claims are externally verified. The initial verification will be for the company, rather than each material it supplies. At the accreditation tier, members must meet the requirements of the first two tiers, before being subject to further auditing. The aim, Stone Federation says, is to have this tier contribute towards credits within schemes such as BREEAM and LEED.
Vetter UK has joined the register at the declaration tier. The company provides a range of services including the design, supply and installation of facades, floors, internal fit-out, urban hard landscaping and restoration/conservation.
BBS (Brick and Stone) has also joined the scheme at the declaration tier. The West Yorkshire-based natural stone supplier works with building and construction projects across the UK, supplying a range of natural stone products.
