The Wood Protection Association (WPA) Commercial Committee has given the green light to a more robust promotion of WPA Benchmark quality accredited treatment plants and treated wood.
The upgraded communications will apply to the key supply chain audiences served by both WPA and Timber Development UK (TDUK) and include:
- Raising the profile of WPA Benchmark (Benchmark) accredited businesses by creating a dedicated page on the WPA website for each treater and any specific treated wood products like fence posts that are individually certificated as fit for purpose under the scheme
- Producing literature and media articles that promote the benefits of Benchmark accreditation to the wood preservation industry, stockists of treated wood, specifiers and buyers and to end users like builders, fencing contractors and landscapers
- Complete the current review of the WPA Benchmark treated wood Scheme Document to clarify and increase the robustness of the audit and compliance requirements
- Helping all WPA Benchmark accredited treaters to review their own marketing materials and raise the use of the scheme logo with descriptions of what this means for their treated wood customers.
Commercial Committee Chairman Neil Ryan said: “The time is right to put a greater emphasis into promoting the benefits of Benchmark quality assured wood treaters.”
This is now possible because of the significant progress over the last 18 months in expanding the number of treaters in the scheme in the UK and in the Baltic States.
Neil said that while a significant majority of WPA treater members have voluntarily joined Benchmark over the years since its 2011 launch, recent growth in membership numbers is mainly a result of TDUK members agreeing to implement a treated wood action plan. that made it mandatory for them to supply preservative treated wood products with independent quality accreditation.
A TDUK campaign is currently underway to reinforce the commitment to buy treated wood products only from quality accredited sources. TDUK is also talking to its members who have not, as yet, confirmed they are compliant or are working towards compliance with this membership requirement.
The TDUK Preservative Treatment Action Plan was developed with WPA in 2017 and aims to address three priority areas:
- The common failure to specify treated wood correctly
- The lack of understanding on how to correctly install and use treated wood
- To ensure independent verification of the treatment process.
The WPA believes that the TDUK Action Plan is an important initiative that will help to protect and grow the market for quality and fit-for-purpose treated wood products.
