Sustainability at Selco

Now, more than ever, it’s vital we demonstrate our ability to operate as a forward-thinking organisation as we look to play our part in what seems certain to be the next significant global challenge – tackling climate change.

Ambitious emissions targets are being set right across the globe – the UK Government has committed to a path towards net zero by 2050 – and we all have a role to play.

Here at Selco, the effects our operations are having on the environment have been on the agenda for a number of years and we have already made important and necessary strides forward, from fitting LED lighting across our entire estate, to beginning an overhaul of our transport system.

There is, however, more we can do.

As a growing business, we have a responsibility, not only to the environment and the local communities in which we operate but also beyond and incorporating the wider Selco family, including manufacturers, suppliers and hauliers.

Our Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) blueprint for what we can achieve over the next decade is focused on five clear areas – customer and product, people, resources, community and ethics.

This year, we're becoming the first builders' merchant in the UK to take decisive action to offset our carbon footprint and there is a comprehensive programme of extensive developments to follow and support this activity.

Our Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) journey will not be completed overnight. Indeed, it's likely to continue for our lifetimes and beyond.

Here at Selco, we're committed to continuing our investment in the future by playing our part in protecting our people, the environment and the planet in the post-COVID world.

We're committed to ensuring any individual or organisation with an interest in Selco work together in delivering a sustainable future.

An integral part of our Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) strategy is the commitment to lowering our carbon footprint and monitoring energy consumption.

The installation of LED lighting across our entire branch network, resulting in a saving of almost 69 tonnes of carbon in one branch alone, has provided positive outcomes, while a new gas management system has also reduced gas consumption by controlling heating through sensors.

In 2021, we've taken decisive action towards offsetting the carbon generated from our customer deliveries by creating the ‘Selco Forest’ near Jedburgh in the Scottish Borders.

This programme has seen more than 100,000 trees planted which, during their lifecycle, will capture the carbon generated by almost two years’ worth of customer deliveries.

In addition, regular trials are also being carried out with a view to utilising alternative fuel vehicles in our transport fleet, including Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and fully electric vehicles.

Single fuel petrol and diesel cars have also been eliminated from our company car list, with colleagues facing a choice between a petrol plug-in hybrid or an electric vehicle.

We have ambitious long-term targets to continue to reduce emissions with the ultimate goal to be net zero by 2045.

Our customers and 3,000-plus colleagues are undoubtedly the greatest assets of Selco Builders Warehouse.

We remain committed to creating a culture for each of our colleagues to thrive, develop and improve, both inside and outside our business. We always support our team, who are wholly committed to providing outstanding service to our customers.

As demonstrated throughout the pandemic, our first priority will always be to provide a safe and healthy environment for all colleagues to carry out their work and all customers to trade within.

All colleagues, both existing and new, receive mandatory health and safety training and the total number of working days lost as a result of an injury has decreased by 20 per cent in the last three years. We have targets to reduce that further by 50 per cent by the end of the decade. We're also developing a new Wellness Strategy.

We continue to work to create a fully diverse and inclusive workforce, narrowing the gender pay gap, creating job opportunities for females and ethnic minorities, ensuring mandatory interviews for female senior leadership team candidates and generally creating a welcome, engaging and inclusive atmosphere.

Training and development opportunities are currently provided at every level of the business. Our Rising Stars Management programme caters for all colleagues and offers accredited management training for any employee showcasing management potential.

In addition, our Selco Driving Academy provides the opportunity for colleagues to become fully accredited HGV drivers and begin building a new career.

A long-standing element of the Selco ethos is to give back to the communities in which we operate.

We're committed to making a positive contribution to the areas and customers we serve, through a deliverable and engaging three-pronged Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strategy comprising charity, community engagement and support for the next generation.

Our official charity partner provides a focal point for colleagues’ fundraising activity, ranging from bike rides, long-distance hikes, golf days and much more.

Our current partner is Cancer Research UK.

Selco Community Heroes is our flagship community initiative. It offers charities and community groups the chance to benefit from both product and financial support, as well as backing for under-represented – and often under-funded - projects.

Hundreds of entries from organisations across the UK have been received for each edition of the campaign and plans are in place for the scheme to grow and develop further in future years.

In addition, many of our branches offer bespoke product and building material support to community organisations in their local vicinity.

We are also finalising plans to launch a schools and colleges scheme to further engage with the local community and help the next generation of tradespeople taking their first steps in the industry.

As part of our Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) pledge, we recognise the increasing importance of supplying renewable and sustainable products.

Product ranges designed to provide sustainable building solutions are becoming increasingly popular. Therefore, we will start an engagement programme with key suppliers to identify the sustainable products which already feature in our product ranges, and identify new opportunities to enhance that.

Specific marketing materials will then be created to engage both customers and colleagues with these products.

In addition, Selco is compliant with the Grafton Group’s Timber Sourcing Policy. This policy recognises a commitment to the sourcing of sustainable timber products, meeting international certification standards.

The Group’s Code of Business Conduct and Ethics states that we will not purchase from suppliers that procure products for us from countries that are subject to trade sanctions, or if the supplier or its sources are listed in connection with a trade sanctions programme. Grafton requires all its suppliers to comply with its anti-slavery policy.

We continue to work to embed our responsible business objectives into our sourcing and supplier activities.

Expanding our recycling practices has also become a huge part of our Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) pledge.

We’ve launched a recycling programme from our Lightside Distribution Centre (LDC) based in Oxfordshire.

All plastic and cardboard from our nationwide network of branches is now returned to the Lightside Distribution Centre (LDC) where we, in conjunction with our warehouse and distribution services partner Unipart, ensure all waste is recycled.

This means that whenever a branch receives a delivery, which is multiple times a week, the branch team can now send back all waste and cardboard to the LDC, where it is packaged up for recycling.

Our recycling programme has been working extremely well and we’re confident it will bring substantial benefits when it comes to reducing our company’s carbon footprint.

Further proposals are also being pulled together to enhance our in-branch recycling programme with a view to this being introduced in 2022.