Caithness Flagstone

Ethical Rating:

It is important to establish that our Ethical scoring system is based on our own work, knowledge and learning.

We have used a five-star rating system to compare the ethical sourcing qualification scores for the different stone sources and ranges that we offer.

With five stars being where we have most ethical activity and transparency, reducing down the scale to where there is greater salient risk of human rights issues or less visibility.

This scoring system is a guide for customers to assist them when considering all the many different factors relating to their stone choices.

For more information on our Ethical Trade commitment please review other documents on our website such as our Ethical Policy and Modern-Day Slavery Statement.

As full and active members of the ETI (Ethical Trading Initiative), we collaborate on projects, striving to improve the lives of workers in our supply chain and mitigate against Human Rights abuses.

For more information, please see link to their website: www.ethicaltrade.org

CED Carbon Footprint Statement:

Providing an accurate assessment of the carbon footprint for a natural stone product is a difficult task, encompassing various stages of production; the extraction of the stone, processing – including sawing and texturing, the consideration of waste and by-products produced, packaging and sometimes multiple transport journeys. There are added complications when you consider that there can be many parties and companies involved in each stage of the process. Determining the exact carbon footprint of every natural stone product simply is often not a practical proposition.

On our website against the different stones offered, we rate the CO2 values, using a simple star rating system. We use a sliding scale, with five stars being the most Carbon friendly down to one star where more energy is used and more emissions produced. This compares the different granites and natural stone product ranges that we source and is offered as a guide to help customers understand which stone materials are more environmentally friendly. This is a CED “in house” system and is based on our knowledge of stone extraction methods, the geographical locations of quarries and factories, distances of factories from ports or hubs, technology and equipment in place at factories, whether goods travel by road, sea or rail, shipping routes and several other known factors.

We already know that natural stone is a great choice when considering environmentally friendly, “project build solutions”, when compared to “man-made” options which use far more energy and resources. Stone is a natural product of our planet and there is an abundant supply with many different aesthetic and technical characteristics. Stone is very durable and lasts for a long time and can be recycled, so can be used for many different purposes after the initial use is at an end. Salvaging and recycling stone ensures that the usable life of the products are maximised. Stone is easy to clean and maintain and doing so correctly will extend the usable life of the product even further. Across the globe over recent years, advancements in technology have led to improved, less wasteful and more efficient methods of quarrying and manufacture.

The processing and transport factors are by far the most significant considerations when assessing the carbon footprint of natural stones. So, focusing on the number and type of process each stone undergoes is a worthwhile and controllable consideration when looking to reduce emissions and the amount of energy used.