Junckers and the Environment Part 3: Environmental Policies and Accreditations

Using a short series of bulletins, we are going to talk about the environmental aspects of Junckers solid hardwood floors. We will look at three different areas; the product itself, the manufacturing process and Junckers environmental policies and accreditations- ie compliance with codes of practice, voluntary and mandatory. In this bulletin we will talk about Junckers manufacturing processes.

Governments and institutions around the world are discussing global problems with plastic waste. Complete avoidance of the use of plastics is currently not possible, but it is surprising that in the UK there seems to be no policy that includes simple substitution of fossil fuel derived plastic floor coverings for natural sustainable materials like hardwood. This is perhaps best illustrated in schools where the students are routinely taught about environmental issues in the classroom, but the school staff choose a plastic floor finish for their own sports hall.

Junckers Environmental Policies and Accreditations.
Junckers has a number of Environmental Management accreditations which make a public statement about the way the company conducts its business, including ethical policies, labour welfare, anti-slavery policies, recruitment and the like. These policies and processes are externally audited.
 
At Junckers we have several accreditations, explained below.

ISO 14001 Environmental Management System
Junckers ISO 14001 accreditation also includes OHSAS 18001 approval, which relates to the company’s working environment, along with energy and electrical safety.
 
We comfortably comply with the standards for limiting local pollution, including air, wood dust, waste water and noise. We have invested heavily in plant to limit discharges into air and water. Our performance is measured regularly as a condition of our accreditation

LEED, BREEAM and Indoor Climate Certificates
Junckers products are classified under these three sustainable building schemes, which focus on economics, carbon, indoor climate and materials.
For designers and clients Junckers can provide comprehensive information for each scheme including all the information that an auditor might need for certification of different types of construction.

BREEAM
Junckers solid hardwood flooring boards correspond to the BRE Global Green Guide specification for hard floor finishes, with a summary rating of A+. BREEAM considers, among other things, the environmental impact of the product in terms of its life cycle, effect upon climate change, water and air pollution, toxicity, use of fossil fuel and dependence upon mineral resources.

Indoor Climate Labelling
All Junckers wood floors and selected wood-care products are certified under the Danish Indoor Climate Labelling scheme. This scheme measures the emissions of certain substances over a period of time from when the product is newly installed or applied. Therefore any reduction in emissions over time will be recorded. This ensures that there are no chemical substances in the flooring which adversely affect the air quality in the room.

Timber sourcing: FSC® and PEFC™   
All our timber comes from legal and sustainably managed sources, and we have internationally-known FSC® and PEFC™ accreditations. These allow the wood to be traced from the forest to the final delivery of the finished floor. These schemes are externally audited and rigidly enforced.

Ease of recycling or “re-purposing”
Solid hardwood boards can be reclaimed if they have useful life remaining. Floating or nailed floors are eminently re-useable and when sanded and sealed can look like a brand-new floor.
 
Solid wood waste is easily recycled and is usually uncontaminated. Other floors eg synthetic finishes are often difficult to recycle and are made more so if contaminated by adhesive and screed residues.