Responsible sourcing

MKM, as a UK Builders Merchant, is committed to conducting our business in a socially responsible and sustainable manner, which includes business ethics, sustainability, and responsible conduct. We recognise the importance of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors in our operations and supply chain. It is important to us that we source products in a way that does not have a negative impact on people and the environment, and that we are encouraging a sustainable supply chain.  In order to ensure this, we have put in place a number of measures.

 

Supplier Code of Conduct

We expect our suppliers to share our commitment to sustainability, ethical practices, and responsible business conduct. In short, we want to do the right thing across our entire business. Our Supplier Code of Conduct outlines our expectations of our goods for resale suppliers in adhering to responsible principles. We have asked our key suppliers to support our ambitions by signing our code of conduct.  Our supplier code of conduct covers five areas:

• Compliance with Laws and Regulations - suppliers must comply with all applicable laws, regulations, and standards in the jurisdictions where they operate, including but not limited to environmental protection laws, labour laws, health and safety regulations, and anti-corruption laws.
• Environmental Responsibility – covering compliance, energy efficiency, waste reduction, recycling, use of sustainable materials, hazardous substances.
• Labour and Human Rights – covering forced labour and child labour, freedom of association, non-discrimination & equal opportunities, working conditions, and fair wages & benefits.
• Ethical Business Conduct – including anti-corruption, supplier diversity & local sourcing, supply chain transparency, intellectual property, and confidentiality & data protection.
• Continuous Improvement – establishing and maintaining appropriate management systems to ensure compliance with the Supplier Code of Conduct.

 

Timber Sourcing

A key part of our environmental sourcing standards concerns timber. All timber sourced by MKM is from legal sources which is compliant with UKTR (UK Timber Regulation).

 

 

Chain of Custody

To ensure products supplied by MKM have full chain of custody certification, customers should specify this at the time of ordering. Certification has been held continuously since 2009. Copies of relevant certificates can then be provided. MKM fully adheres to Chain of Custody procedures on timber materials, to meet the Government and Central Point of Expertise in Timber policy and guidelines. A full timber specialist training programme is available for branches, which covers all elements of timber sale, use and purchase, including Chain of Custody and the audit requirements. 

 

Timber trade body memberships

MKM has full ongoing membership of Timber Development UK (TDUK) and fully adhere to the TDUK code of conduct and responsible purchasing policy. We also hold full ongoing membership of the Scottish Timber Trade Association, adhering to its code of conduct.

 

Imported Natural Stone

Our imported natural stone suppliers, Global Stone and Marshalls plc, are committed to sustainable development and ethical sourcing in construction materials, ensuring that their business is managed with this in mind. They appreciate the need for regular and consistent auditing to ensure legal compliance and ethical trading with developing countries.

They are a member of the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI), an alliance of companies, trade unions and non-profit organisations that aims to promote respect for the rights of workers worldwide.

 

They work exclusively with reputable and reliable suppliers that meet their own stringent requirements and those relevant to our industry.

Our suppliers continue to undertake regular auditing to ensure that the highest standards are always maintained.

 

Modern Slavery

The 2016 Global Slavery Index estimated that 45.8 million people were subject to some form of modern slavery in the world, and in the UK alone the survey estimated 11,700 victims of slavery. To help tackle this issue the UK Government introduced the Modern Slavery Act in October 2015. MKM Building Supplies has a zero-tolerance approach to slavery and human trafficking.

The policies we have in place along with our Anti-Slavery and Human Trafficking statement reflect our commitment to:

• Act ethically and with integrity in all our business relationships
• Enforce effective systems and controls to prevent slavery and human trafficking in our corporate activities ensuring that our supply chains are free from slavery and human trafficking
• Pay people fairly and properly for their work

•     Provide training for our teams including the Modern Slavery Act and how to respond to modern slavery if identified in our supply chain