Translations

Sustainable timber sourcing at CASTORAMA France

5. Fair Operating Practices

Responsible purchasing

Sector Business / Distribution

Year 2014

Country France

Transmitter

Context

With 102 stores and 12,600 employees, Castorama helps its customers for home improvement for more than 40 years. Environmental issues are part of our strategy. Castorama has developed eco products ranges to help customers to save energy and water, have a healthy home and preserve forests. In 2014, 22% of our turnover is made of eco products.
Concerning forests, 30% of its products include timber. In annual sales volumes, it represents over one million cubic meters, equivalent to a forest half the size of Paris and its surrounding area. Preserve forests is a key challenge for the planet as well as for its business model.

Objectives

To guarantee that every product containing wood comes from a well managed forest, endorsed by a third party through official labels (FSC or PEFC)

APPROACH

Castorama has required eco certification on the whole ranges and products containing timber, that represents a total of over 11,000 products. This allowed us to have ranges like flooring, garden furniture and shelves already 100% certified.
The key points of its approach:

Castorama wrote a timber policy together with its partner WWF France,
Training of the buyers on eco certification criteria (FSC and PEFC)
Due diligence and reporting system with Quality team.

CONTRIBUTION TO COMPANY PERFORMANCE

Castorama ended at the 1st place of the 2012 WWF timber barometer, out of 35 companies. The score takes into account 4 criteria: in store information on species, eco certification and origin plus a mark on the timber policy.
Castorama also finished in 4th position of the 2013 paper survey (PAP50) out of 50 French companies made by WWF and Riposte Verte.

Benefits

Castorama has the traceability on 100% of our timber products and 86% eco certified in our ranges in 2014 guarantees the well managed forestry upstream. This rate goes up to 98% for tropical species, where deforestation challenges are the most important.