Greenpeace pushes UK's largest garden centre to adopt environmentally friendly timber policy

Orang-utans at the Wyevale garden furniture centre

(London, 25 April 2005) Greenpeace today welcomed an announcement by Wyevale - the UKs largest garden centre chain - that they will stop sourcing timber from trashed rainforests and cease selling garden furniture that is helping to finance the brutal military dictatorship in Burma.

In a statement issued by Wyevale, the garden centre retailer stated that they will stop buying garden furniture from 'all sources that are illegal or controversial, with a view to totally excluding all such timber' and 'ensuring that by 2008 all timber products are sourced from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified forests or progressing towards being FSC certified by the Tropical Forest Trust.' (1)

Last month, Greenpeace exposed Wyevale for selling garden furniture sourced from the last remaining rainforests of South East Asia, home to the critically endangered orang-utan, and from one of the worlds most brutal military dictatorships in Burma. Timber is a key source of revenue for the Burmese regime.

The company was listed bottom of a league table of garden furniture retailers, which was compiled following a four-month investigation by Greenpeace. The investigation revealed that some of the UK's largest retailers, including Argos, continue to sell timber from the destruction of the worlds last rainforests.

However, at the top of the league table are B&Q who, amongst other retailers, have taken positive steps to remove uncertified rainforest timber from their stores. These retailers sell garden furniture certified by the FSC - the only way consumers can buy garden furniture confident in the knowledge that it has come from environmentally and socially responsible sources.

Nathan Argent, Greenpeace forest campaigner, said: "It is great news that Wyevale has committed to stop selling garden furniture from trashed rainforests and they'll ensure that in future all timber products will come from legal and well-managed forests.

"However, other garden centre chains continue to sell timber pillaged from the worlds remaining ancient forests. The rest of this sector needs to take urgent action to follow Wyevales lead and ensure that all their garden furniture comes from FSC certified sources."

Greenpeace's online guide to buying garden furniture can be found at www.saveordelete.com

For more information or background pictures call the Greenpeace press office on 020 7865 8255. To view the full league table visit click here.

Notes
(1) The full Wyevale statement said: 'Wyevale's policy is to ensure that all the timber in our products comes from forests independently certified as well managed, according to the standards set out by the Forest Stewardship Council. Wyevale will actively seek to source FSC certified timber products for our business.

Wyevale acknowledge the environmental and social issues connected with the sourcing of tropical hardwoods and as a result have become members of the Tropical Forest Trust.'

Key aspects of Wyevale Garden Centres' timber sourcing policy are:

• Working towards full transparency of all forest sources used by Wyevale.
• commitment to sourcing timber only from well managed, legal and non-controversial sources, which carry recognised and acceptable certifications.
• A clear goal of aiming to ensure that all timber products sold by Wyevale are Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified or progressing towards being FSC certified through the Tropical Forest Trust (TFT) by 2008.
• Reporting annually on progress towards achieving set goals.