Marshalls concrete BES 6001 - BRE Group
BES 6001 awarded to Marshalls for responsibly sourced concrete
Leading the way on social, environmental and economic management, Marshalls has embedded sustainability into the heart of its business, operating under a corporate triple bottom line of economic, environmental and social responsibility. It also ensures that its products provide economic, environmental and social benefits to its customers. |
About
Marshalls PLC is a UK-based manufacturer of natural stone and concrete, hard-landscaping products. It supplies the construction, home improvement and landscape markets.
Background
In line with its core business values, Marshalls wished to demonstrate its commitment to the principles of responsible sourcing, covering social, environmental and economic principles by seeking BES 6001 certification for concrete products manufactured at 12 of its UK sites.
In addition, Marshalls recognised that securing BES 6001 certification would help its customers secure additional BREEAM or Code for Sustainable Homes credits, support their commitments to industry initiatives and to achieve competitive advantage in the marketplace.
Challenges
The varied number of products meant a complex range of audits and assessments were required before certification could be awarded. These product ranges that they had audited were:
Concrete flag and kerb products
Concrete block paving
Wet cast paving and walling
Pressed Walling
Drainage Products
Traffic Management Products
Solutions
The certification and audit process began in March 2011 with the drafting of a pre-assessment report based on a range of documentary evidence provided by Marshalls. BRE then made four visits between May and June to a number of Marshalls sites, including the main office in West Yorkshire and production facilities at Brookfoot and West Lane near Halifax, St Ives, Cambridgeshire and Sandy, Bedfordshire.
These site visits enabled BRE Global auditors to review Marshalls’ responsible sourcing related processes both at the main office where the various policies and procedures were developed and managed, through to Marshalls front-line manufacturing plants where the policies were implemented in the production process.
By July 2011, the process was complete and Marshalls had secured a ‘Very Good’ BES 6001 certified rating for all the products which entered the certification process.
Benefits
David Morrell, Marshalls Head of Sustainability has been delighted with the results of the BES 6001 certification, “BES 6001 allows us to communicate the complex message of management systems, supply chain engagement and a host of sustainable policies, targets & reports in a simple, third party assessed certification scheme. The standard and audit process required no more than to demonstrate what we were already doing as a business.”