Sustainability

At Millboard, we believe in outdoor living that doesn’t come at the expense of the environment. Our commitment to sustainability is woven into the very fabric of our company, and we’re on a mission to lead the way toward a greener, more responsible future.

We believe in the beauty of life in its many forms. Ensuring a sustainable future is intrinsic to our nature. Our approach to sustainability is simple. Every day, we consider the impact that our actions will have on the future of life, living and livelihoods, and strive to make choices that are fair and considerate.

LIFE

We make five ‘life’ commitments:

Protecting life and the natural resources that make up ‘life’ in its widest sense is central to a sustainable future. We constantly review our processes and practices to ensure that we are having the least impact possible on the environment around us.

Virgin Materials

We keep our use of virgin materials to a minimum

Our products use no natural timber and minimal raw materials, and we aim to keep it that way. We believe that a sustainable future involves leaving the natural world intact as much as possible.

recycled material

We maximise the use of recycled material in product manufacture

Every decking board is produced using recycled minerals, and our sub-frame system and materials are made entirely from recycled or recyclable plastic and aluminium.

recycle all waste

We aim to recycle all waste from our business activities that can be recycled

Both in the factory and in our offices and showrooms, we have an effective recycling programme to contribute to the circular economy, including a scheme to encourage re-use of product samples rather than disposal.

natural environment

We care for the natural environment in which we operate

Our factory is set in a beautiful natural environment, sustaining diverse flora and fauna. We maintain the environment carefully for the wild creatures that visit and have plans to establish active beekeeping.

environmental protection

We hold ourselves accountable for environmental protection

We’re certified to ISO 14001, and we aim to go above and beyond in fulfilling the requirements that the standard sets out.

We support home working for relevant roles, reducing CO2 miles

We aim to maximise recycling of pallets in our operations

We utilise renewable energy as part of our manufacturing processes

We use recyclable packaging for despatching our products

We encourage use of recycled materials in our literature

We have reduced solvent waste in our manufacturing processes

LIVING

We make five ‘living’ commitments:

We know that a sustainable future must include every person and family enjoying a fair standard of living. We think that all organisations should consider for the lives of those that make up their teams. Without that reasonable baseline, the world will not be in balance.

Real Living Wage

We pay all staff at or above the Real Living Wage

Millboard is committed to our employees and their families and voluntarily pays above the Real Living Wage to 100% of colleagues. This is calculated according to the basic cost of living in the UK, and is not to be confused with the lower National Minimum Wage set by the UK government.

work/life balance

We promote a fair work/life balance for all our staff

We fully recognise the demands of daily life outside of work for all our valued staff members. We readily accommodate work-from-home and flexible working arrangements wherever possible, and we ensure that working hours are not excessive.

protection & Safety

We protect the safety of all staff while at work

We’re accredited to ISO 45001, but we take our duty of care beyond those basic requirements. We always consider the needs of staff in the workplace and ensure that their work can be carried out safely and without undue strain.

enhanced support

We provide enhanced support for those having a family

We believe that parenting is a wonderful thing and is clearly intrinsic to sustainability. We do all that we can to support those having children by providing over and above the statutory level of maternity pay.

support charitable causes

We actively support charitable causes to support those less fortunate

Each year, we donate hundreds of thousands to charity to support clear cases of need. Typically, we donate 1% of turnover, and in recent years have supported over 30 charities across multiple areas.

We ensure that the work environment is fair and free from discrimination or bullying

We provide our staff with first-rate refreshment and welfare facilities

We give practical support to charitable activities such as food boxes for those less fortunate

We support our staff with independent, confidential services aimed at helping them with everyday life

The mental health of our staff is as important to us as their physical health

Our dedication to the safety of our team is second to none

LIVELIHOOD

We make five livelihood commitments:

The final component of a truly sustainable outlook is the need for individuals and organisations to make ends meet – to earn what’s needed to pay the bills and plan for the future. And that requires everyone to play fair and adhere to a certain standard of operation.

Paying Suppliers

We pay our suppliers on time, according to terms

We value our suppliers and know that every business can only survive if it has a dependable flow of monies in. We pay all our suppliers on time, according to terms agreed, with the vast majority being within 30 days.

PAying Tax

We’re committed to paying our fair share of tax

As a substantial business, we recognise our responsibility to contribute to society by paying our taxes on time and in full, which we always do.

ethical & transparent

We conduct business in an ethical and transparent manner

We fully support the government’s anti-bribery and anti-corruption initiatives and apply these standards in our business. We expect all transactions to stand the light of day and be conducted in a manner that abides by the rules of good business.

Tacking Modern Slavery

We ensure that no aspects of our business are enabled by slave labour

We believe that all forms of modern slavery are utterly unacceptable, and we take active measures to ensure that no aspects of our supply chain are facilitated by modern slavery.

UN Global Compact

We are a committed participant of the UN Global Compact

Having signed up to the Ten Principles of the UNGC, we uphold the highest standards in relation to Human Rights, Labour, and Anti-Corruption.

MILLBOARD PRODUCTS

Sustainability through innovation:

We are constantly striving to make our business, manufacturing processes and product offering more sustainable – this means we’re always finding new ways of doing things.

Recycled fillers

structural core of Millboard

Over a third of the raw materials used for making the structural core of Millboard is recycled. These materials have been diverted from waste streams and reprocessed to create premium ingredients for our boards. This helps to sustain the earths limited resources and prevents waste.

100% recyclable

Fully recyclable packaging

Millboard sample and product packaging is 100% recyclable. Our brochures and printed marketing materials use paper from FSC certified forests, using the FSC check mark tree logo to confirm this wherever possible.

BRE Global Verified EPD

Environmental Product Declarations

In 2023 we committed to obtaining Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) for our products, and in 2024 the first ones were created by BRE. With the insight from those EPDs we are in the process of conducting full product Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) to understand the true impact of our products and from this, identify the best way in which they can be improved without compromising on the trademark beauty and quality of our products. For more information contact sustainability@millboard.co.uk

Green Electricity

We’re powered by SSE Green Electricity

Millboard is an SSE Green Electricity Certified company. This is a result of our commitment to purchasing electricity generated by wind and hydro assets matched annually to Renewal Energy Guarantees of Origin (REGOs) enabling zero emission reporting. This certification relates to our manufacturing function only.

Made in the UK – reducing the amount of distance they need to travel to your project

Millboard products are reusable and built to last for a very long time

Download the Sustainability 101 Leaflet