Swish Building Products has retained the green standard BES6001 across its roofline range, with a ‘very good’ rating, delivering instant point wins to house builders under the Code for Sustainable Homes.

In retaining its ‘very good’ rating across its PVC fascia, soffit, cladding and window board ranges, Swish is able to offer developers access to a product offer that gives them maximum points under the Code (tier level 1).

This to date is a unique achievement for a PVC roofline company and means that Swish’s low maintenance range offers the same points as FSC timber under Mat2 and Mat3 of the Code.

Greg Wilde, Swish Building Products, said: “At face value it may not seem much but BES6001 is a hugely important accreditation – it means developers, social housing providers and merchants can demonstrate responsibility and sustainability in the supply chain.

“On the back of this they are able to secure an instant quick win, gaining additional points under the Code for Sustainable Homes.”

Including an assessment of organisational governance, supply chain management and social and environmental impact, the new standard was written into the Code for Sustainable Homes in late 2010. Swish Building Products became one of a handful of building product manufacturers to secure the accreditation last year.

BES6001 ‘pulls’ together a number of other standards to demonstrate a commitment to responsible sourcing of materials. Swish Building Products only secured the new standard after previously securing the quality management standard ISO9001, the environmental management standard ISO14001 and occupational health and safety OHSAS18001.

Swish also had to demonstrate that it had policies and management systems in place to make sure that the raw materials it purchases come from responsibly and sustainably managed sources.

“House builders, and particularly those working in the social sector, can’t afford to lose contracts or miss out on new business, because their sustainability claims don’t stand up to scrutiny. BES6001 and chain of custody forms a critical part in making sure reputations remain intact but moreover that the construction industry and its suppliers move forward together towards a more sustainable future.”