The government’s firm commitment to the environment is well documented and it is clear that the use of sustainable timber in the construction industry will become increasingly specific.

• Environmental accreditation on all windows and doors

At Bereco we are proud of our environmental accreditation on all of our product range endorsed by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Greenpeace and the government. By using only certified timber from well-managed sources, we can offer a product that is environmentally sound in both the raw material and the production methods used in its manufacture.

• Conserving energy

The consumption of energy has become an important factor in the choice of materials for windows and doors since part L and J were introduced to the building regulations. Windows in dwellings alone account for 6% of the UK’s total energy consumption. The image shown (left) reveals that a great deal of heat is lost through the two plastic windows (left) compared to a high performance timber window using soft coat, argon filled glass (Glazing). Under current regulations, for a semi-detached house with 20m2 of glass a saving of1800kw/h costing £175 per annum can be directly attributed to choosing Bereco windows. As energy costs continue to rise this saving will increase year on year.

• One Planet Living

Bereco are the only window of choice for the One Planet Living Group due to our environment credentials and bespoke design options. Backed by the WWF, the vision of One Planet Living is a world in which people everywhere can lead happy, healthy lives within their fair share of the Earth’s resources.

One Planet Living is based on a set of 10 guiding principles. These are:

Zero Carbon

Zero Waste

Sustainable Transport

Local and Sustainable Materials

Local and Sustainable Food

Sustainable Water

Natural Habitats and Wildlife

Culture and Heritage

Equity and Fair Trade

Health and Happiness

If One Planet Living is to become the norm around the world it must be affordable and attractive to a diverse range of people and cultures. It must address key human needs including housing, clothing, food, healthcare, education, energy, transport and leisure.

One Planet Living must also be easy - few people actually want to live unsustainably. However it is often too easy to make decisions that have damaging, unsustainable consequences, and too difficult to choose more sustainable options. To live at a one planet level, we need to be able to change the ‘defaults’ of our daily lifestyle decisions to ones which are sustainable.