Our Environmental Policy
Woodland Heritage and Whitney Sawmills are committed to reducing our impact on the environment. We shall aim to continually improve our environmental performance and reduce our environmental impact.
We shall ensure that the policy of both organisations is documented and maintained, appropriate to the size and nature of the environmental impacts of our activities
We are committed to continual improvement, the prevention of pollution and the minimisation of waste generation
We are committed to a sustainable supply of UK timber and to supporting, where appropriate, the activities of those that contribute to this supply
We are committed to complying with all applicable legal requirements
We shall set and review environmental objectives and targets, including this policy
This policy shall be communicated to all persons working for or on behalf of the company
This policy shall be made available within the organisation and to all interested parties at all times
In order to meet this commitment, Woodland Heritage and Whitney Sawmills shall pursue the following objectives:
To ensure compliance with all applicable environmental legislation and guidance
Be prepared to deal with the demands of future legislative developments
To ensure that harmful impacts are foreseen and controlled including the lifecycle (including disposal) of plant and equipment
To reduce emissions and energy usage, wherever possible
To prevent pollution including effluent and run off where applicable
To improve waste management practices by reduction and recycling where applicable
To support and, where appropriate to our activities (e.g. processing of timber), buy from suppliers that manage their operations to the benefit of the environment
To use natural resources as efficiently as possible where they are integral to our businesses (e.g. consumption of timber) and to source them as locally as possible
To otherwise reduce consumption of natural resources
To minimise noise, dust and other nuisances
To continuously assess environmental performance
To ensure that the working culture encourages best environmental practices
To assist in the management of ecology and habitat
To identify and safeguard wildlife, in particular protected sites and species
The necessary staffing and financial resources will be allocated to assist the company in meeting its environmental objectives.
In addition, the company shall continue to raise the levels of environmental awareness throughout its workforce and to promote this awareness to its customers and suppliers.
Employees shall be briefed and trained on tree, wood and forest related environmental practices. We will actively encourage our clients to use and promulgate our environmental commitments in their activities and welcome discussions and activity on how we could share and contribute to their business activities
Approved by the Boards of Woodland Heritage/W H Timber Limited (t/a Whitney Sawmills), 16 March 2020
Whitney Sawmills is a key supplier of British timber in the UK and its key policy is the continuation of the UK’s traditions of sustainable timber supplies and woodland management. Whitney Sawmills is committed to replanting trees as they are felled. In addition the sixty-acre wood, that the sawmill is sited in, was planted with mixed native hardwood , by the previous owner of the mill . It continues to be managed in the traditional way and plays an important role in the education of the next generation of people entering this industry, during the Woodland to Workshop courses that are run by Woodland Heritage.
The ecology of our woodlands has, over thousands of years, adapted to man’s harvesting cycle. Many of the key woodland species of plants and trees cannot germinate or survive without the extra sunlight that penetrates to ground level when a tree is felled, and numerous species of woodland animal rely on the presence of these plants. Of increasing importance, atmospheric carbon dioxide is absorbed by the growing tree and sequestered in the wood it creates. When the tree is felled, the carbon remains locked in that timber, often for hundreds of years – providing a vital service to combat the build-up of greenhouse gases.
The deep soils of Herefordshire have long been recognised as providing exceptional conditions for growing quality hardwoods and British oak trees. Our UK timber is largely sourced from this area as well as neighbouring Shropshire and Gloucester, including the extensive local woodlands belonging to the Duchy of Cornwall.
We are able to source English Oak for a wide range of projects which we can supply at very affordable, please contact the office for current prices.