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BioRegional
Charcoal Company Ltd
The loss of natural
forests around the world is a major environmental concern while
here in the UK, many of our traditional woodlands lie neglected
because there is little economic incentive to maintain them. The
UK imports over 90% of its barbecue charcoal and so in 1995, BioRegional
developed a new approach to local production of wood products in
the UK and set up BioRegional Charcoal Company Ltd (BRCC).
BioRegional’s network production model involves the central
coordination of a group of producers that allows them to act as
a single supplier. The network supplies high quality charcoal, firewood
and kindling to major retailers using the most local producer to
each store. The concept of establishing a network of charcoal burners
to access national retail markets was suggested by BioRegional Development
Group in the early 1990s working with the British Charcoal Group.
With support from WWF, this collaboration resulted in a contract
to supply B&Q and the formation of BioRegional Charcoal Company
(BRCC) in 1995.
BRCC currently has a supplier base of around 25 producers and sells
on average 300 tonnes of charcoal per annum. In the last few years
it extended its product range to include firewood and kindling,
and is now selling approximately 900 and 135 tonnes per annum, respectively.
The company has proved that it is technically possible to coordinate
a successful supplier network of local producers and develop a domestic
income stream that supports woodland communities.
BioRegional has also calculated that the CO2
emissions generated from the transport of charcoal from producer
to store can be reduced by as much as 85% where local charcoal replaces
imported.
BRCC’s network of charcoal burners and woodland workers across
the UK, use wood feedstock from local coppice woodland and thinnings.
The wood used is independently certified by The
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC),
an independent body that monitors internationally agreed standards
for sustainable forestry management.
Today many conservation groups in the UK are promoting traditional
coppice woodland – a sustainable forest management system
carried out for millennia in Britain. It involves the regular cutting
of timber from stumps (or stools) which then grow again. They are
re-cut every 7 to 20 years, depending on the tree species, and use
for the coppice. Coppicing creates a complex pattern of woodland
of different ages and varying amounts of light and shade. A great
variety of wildlife flourishes in coppiced areas including many
of the UK’s most endangered species, for example the pearl
bordered fritillary (the UK’s fastest declining butterfly
species), wood white butterfly, sable and argent moth, nightingale
and dormouse. As the area of woodland being coppiced has declined
over the last 60 years so have the populations of these and other
woodland wildlife.
Nationally, targets for coppice restoration have been set by organisations,
such as English Nature, for wildlife and conservation benefits.
The target for England is to return around 70,000 hectares to active
coppice management, but without a market for this harvested wood,
it is unlikely that any significant progress towards this target
can be made. However, if the UK became self sufficient in its charcoal
production, this would contribute 60% of this target.
For more information or
to find out about supplying or stocking BioRegional Charcoal Company
products, please contact
us.
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Charcoal Company
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Last updated 11th March 2008
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