Responsible Sourcing Policy

Ketley Brick strives to achieve the highest standards in sustainable manufacturing and together with our accreditation to ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 the company actively works to source all its supplies from responsible sources and is embarking on a process toward BES 6001 accreditation.

The clay used in the manufacture of our bricks and pavers comes from our quarry 1/2 a mile from the factory, this quarry is managed to the highest standards and in addition has been classified as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). The short distance minimises CO2 in transport.

The company policy is that constituent materials for the production of bricks and pavers will only be purchased from companies operating with ISO 14001 accreditation. The company maintains an approved suppliers list as part of ISO 9001, these suppliers are assessed against a range of criteria to determine their compliance to our sustainability goals with particular focus on the identification and traceability of constituent materials.

Over the last 10 years the company has invested over £6m in new plant and processes to reduce the levels of CO2 emissions in all areas of production. This has contributed to a significant fall in emissions from the plant. Emissions today are 20% below the figures recorded in 2005.

When the options were presented to the company for the investment in its new brick and paver line, management favoured a British supplier over foreign alternatives as we believe that only through the active support of British manufacturing can the construction industry supply chain ultimately prosper and deliver the sustainability ambitions we seek.

Our responsible sourcing policy leads on to the company policy for dealing with waste, recycling and health and safety. Refer to our life cycle analysis to see the treatment of all materials used in production.

Ketley Products are proven to last, this longevity is a key constituent to their sustainability as the embodied energy within the products is applied across the useful life of the products which can be in excess of 100 years.

Alex Patrick-Smith

Managing Director

January 2011