Sustainability
Honest about how we work
Shop Worktops is an online retailer. We don't make worktops, run a warehouse or operate a delivery fleet ourselves. Your order is supplied and delivered direct to you by our supplier, a national worktop distributor. Most of the environmental story behind your worktop belongs to them and to the brands they stock, so here's what our supplier tells us, along with the part we play.
Direct from our supplier to you
Because your order goes straight from our supplier to your door, it isn't shipped to us first and then sent on again. Small accessories travel with your worktop delivery rather than separately.
What our supplier does
Our supplier publishes the following sustainability commitments:
- Minimal wood waste. Offcuts from fabricating solid wood worktops are used for customer samples and chopping boards. Smaller offcuts fuel two wood-burning biomass boilers that help heat the supplier's warehouse.
- Renewable energy. The supplier has fitted over 400 solar panels to its warehouse roof, and says they generate enough power to run the building, including its self-enclosed extraction system.
- Efficient deliveries. The supplier runs a fleet of around 50 vans and uses route-planning software to keep each journey as efficient as possible, cutting the carbon footprint per delivery.
- Less packaging waste. The supplier uses reusable packaging and says it has removed cardboard from its operation.
- Recycling. The supplier recycles most of its office waste and old IT equipment.
Responsibly sourced timber
Our supplier states that:
- all the wood it buys complies with the EU Timber Regulation (EUTR), which exists to stop illegally harvested timber entering the market
- it buys timber only from reputable vendors and keeps close links with its own suppliers, visiting them regularly
- it and its suppliers are compliant with the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC)
- De Terra solid wood worktops are harvested from sustainable forests.
About PEFC. The Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification is an international, non-profit, non-governmental organisation founded in 1999. PEFC certification endorses sustainable forest management and chain-of-custody management.
Order once, order right
The most sustainable worktop is the one you only buy once. Every product page lists its sizes, and our fitting and installation guides help you measure, fit and look after your worktop properly. Samples from 98p let you check a colour and finish before you commit, so you're less likely to order the wrong worktop. If you're unsure, call us on 0345 163 2182 before you order and we'll help you get it right first time.
Look after it and it lasts
Solid wood, laminate, compact laminate, FENIX NTM® and solid surface worktops all last for years with the right care. Our installation and maintenance guides explain how, from re-oiling solid wood to cleaning each surface correctly.
Manufacturers' information
Formica®, FENIX NTM®, Getalit®, VIS and Coreluxe each publish their own environmental and product information. If you need details for a specific product, for example for a specification or a building project, contact us and we'll get them for you.
