CAN YOU SPECIFY BRITISH STONE ?
It is good to witness the economic recovery and to see clients busy and order books filling up . But the bigger environmental picture means old business habits must change .
In a world where we are fully conscious of the effects of our actions on the environment in which we live and work , the construction industry must take responsibility for its supply chain , how it buys and who it buys from . The environmental credentials of the decorative stone we specify in our bathrooms and kitchens and for our floors is part of that story .
INTERIORS & INTERIOR DESIGN
The value of stone imports into the UK has been rising since the 2008 economic crash from £ 340 million in 2009 to over £ 450 million in 2019 , dropping slightly in 2020 for obvious reasons .
Even taking into account the fall in the value of sterling and the decrease in the cost of many stones , it represents over 30 % rise in the importation of stone . A great many ships , lorries and planes guzzling millions of gallons of fuel , creating a carbon footprint the size of which is hard to imagine .
Britannicus : Ledmore marble
So what are the alternatives ? Can you specify British stone ? What are the choices and where to look ?
The British stone industry is relatively small and beside some notable stone exceptions – Portland , York , Welsh and Cumbrian slates amongst others – remains an industry only suppling local markets . However , we have been using local stones for building and decorative finishes for hundreds if not thousands of years and there are many beautiful stones that are available , if you know where to look .
The Stone Federation has a number of UK quarries as members – Purbeck marble , Mandale Fossil , Ancaster limestone are some . Visit the web site for more details www . stonefed . org . uk .
Britannicus Stone offer one of the best ranges of British quarried stones and claim to stock “ the only true UK marble available ”, exclusively . Visit their web site britannicus-stone . co . uk for the bigger picture .
Can we justify spending all that money and carbon on imported stone when we have our own supply waiting to be discovered ?
Britannicus : Devonian Stoneycombe Limestone
If you need assistance with any of the above or would simply like to talk to a stone expert about your project , your choices and how to use this gorgeous material to achieve fantastic results please call Robert Merry on 07771997621 or visit the Stone Consultants at www . stoneconsultants . co . uk .
We all have to change our business habits to save the planet and maybe the next time you specify or buy stone it should be from the UK .
John Ruskin said ... “ Quality is never an accident : it is always the result of intelligent effort .” Look forward to hearing from you .
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