Green Procurement Group formed

Jewson has joined forces with key construction industry groups and companies to develop an industry-wide sustainable procurement solution.

The newly-formed Green Procurement Group, created following a Jewson-led forum with major suppliers to reduce the industry’s carbon footprint, is headed by the company’s sustainability and quality director Steve Millward and also includes the likes of Velux, Rockwool, Lafarge and the Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP).

The 12-member group intends to collectively reduce the amount of waste materials and packaging through its own supply chain. Ideas so far discussed include carbon labelling and the possibility of providing a 20% reduction in packaging by 2012.

“Given that a large amount of materials found on a construction site are wasted, in addition to the amount of surplus packaging found on many building products, it is time leading suppliers and manufacturers begin to work together to establish how this can be significantly reduced,” said Mr Millward.