Wolseley UK, the UK’s leading distributor of building materials, has attained environmental success in gaining ISO 14001 accreditation for three of its branches.

Staff at the Build and Hire Centers in Oswestry, Shropshire and staff at the Build Center in Colne, Lancashire have worked to achieve this prestigious accreditation within an ambitious six months.

This success comes as a result of Wolseley implementing a new Environmental Management Programme, developed in-house, which structures the Company’s approach to environmental matters.

The international standard BS EN 14001:2004 requires an Environmental Management System to be established. This enables an organisation to demonstrate high environmental standards and compliance with legislation, reduce costs and improve efficiency.

The Colne and Oswestry branches have piloted Wolseley’s new Environmental Management System, which will now be trialled across all seven Wolseley UK brands. This offers Wolseley the potential for improving environmental performance throughout the organisation.

Adrian Barden, managing director of Wolseley UK said:

“Wolseley UK seeks to be a responsible member of both the local and business communities. I am extremely pleased that the hard work of staff at Colne and Oswestry has paid off in such a short time, demonstrating our commitment to ensuring that our operations are environmentally sensitive.

“Going forward, we’re keen to drive these standards across our business and will develop a proactive approach to controlling the impacts of our activities, products and services on the environment - for the benefit of our customers, our employees and of the local communities in which we work.”