Responsible sourcing means focussing on the whole life cycle of a product - from initial mining, extraction or formulation of the raw materials through to manufacturing and processing, installation and use, re-use and recycling until final replacement.

While there is currently no mandatory requirement for any products to be responsibly sourced, it has to be demonstrated in order to achieve higher Code for Sustainable Homes materials credits, which is why it is becoming increasingly important for builders of both private and social housing.

So what should house builders do to ensure that their roofing and cladding products are responsibly sourced? Looking for products with a high environmental rating, for example A+ in the BRE Green Guide to Specification, is a good start, but they also need to look for manufacturers and suppliers that have a responsible sourcing policy in place.

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