1. INTRODUCTION & OVERVIEW
At Twelve Oak Tree Limited T/A Home Stories Wood Flooring, we believe that beautiful, enduring oak floors must never come at the expense of our planet’s forests. The Timber and Timber Products Placing on the Market Regulations (UKTR) came into force in Great Britain on 1st January 2021, replacing the European Union Timber Regulation (EUTR) following the UK's exit from the EU.
Under the UKTR framework, our business operates as a registered "Operator" when importing timber and engineered flooring products into the Great Britain market. This status carries a strict legal obligation: we must independently evaluate, verify, and guarantee that every wood product we introduce carries a negligible risk of originating from illegal logging or irresponsible forest management.
2. WHY RESPONSIBLE SOURCING MATTERS
Regulating timber supply chains is essential to protecting global forestry, supporting legitimate forest communities, combatting climate change, and encouraging sustainable harvesting practices worldwide. As a specialist distributor of fine engineered wood flooring, we actively support these regulations through continuous monitoring and proactive compliance management.
OUR PROMISE TO OUR CUSTOMERS
When you choose a Home Stories floor, you are selecting a product that has been thoroughly audited for legal origin, environmental sustainability, and ethical trade integrity before it ever reaches your home or project site.
3. OUR DUE DILIGENCE SYSTEM (DDS)
To fulfill our obligations as an Operator under UKTR, we have instituted a comprehensive, multi-tiered Due Diligence System (DDS). This system ensures that all raw materials—from the solid oak surface veneer down to the multi-ply birch backing—are systematically checked and verified before distribution.
3.1 Complete Supply Chain Mapping & Traceability:
We trace every timber batch back through every stage of production. We maintain rigorous logs detailing:
- The exact botanical species and common names of all wood components;
- The precise country of harvest and sub-regional forest concessions;
- Full chain-of-custody documentation linking the forest concession to the sawmill, veneer plant, multi-layer bonding facility, and final finishing plant.
3.2 Continuous Risk Assessment:
We systematically evaluate the risk level of all timber sources using up-to-date data from international monitoring organisations, trade bodies, government authorities, and environmental Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs). We assess factors such as country-specific governance ratings, species prevalence, regional timber corruption indices, and local forestry law compliance.
3.3 Proactive Risk Mitigation:
If any potential vulnerability or ambiguity is flagged in a supply chain, we immediately deploy targeted mitigation protocols. Depending on the risk level identified, our mitigation steps include:
- Independent third-party document and chain-of-custody audits;
- Direct, on-site manufacturing plant and forestry site inspections;
- Independent laboratory species and origin testing (such as isotopic or fiber analysis) to confirm authenticity.
3.4 Absolute "Negligible Risk" Standard:
Only timber products that achieve a conclusive rating of "Negligible Risk" across all compliance criteria are approved for placement on the UK market. If a product or supplier cannot satisfy this standard, the material is rejected.
4. ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY & PEACE OF MIND
By enforcing these strict measures, Home Stories provides full assurance that your flooring reflects the highest standards of legal compliance and environmental guardianship. We continuously update our Due Diligence System to reflect evolving legal guidelines and environmental best practices.
If you have any questions regarding our environmental policy, timber origin certifications, or UKTR compliance, please contact our technical team at [email protected] or call us on 03333 110 888.