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Materials & Supply

At Sutcliffe Play, our heritage stretches back almost 150 years. From our origins in the mid-1870s developing coal cutting and pit sinking machines for use in the mines, right through to today’s leading play equipment manufacturer, we’re proud of our rich and varied history.

But in that time, it’s not only our business that’s been transformed. The smoke-filled factories of the Industrial Revolution may have heralded the future in the Victorian era – but today, progress takes a far cleaner, and far greener, form. It’s a demand that every responsible business (including our own) must address head on, by striving for sustainability.  

"Sustainability is meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs"

UN Commission
– 1987 –

At Sutcliffe Play, this sentiment is crucial for us, because we work hard to bring fun and fulfilment to children, and all future generations, whilst firing their imaginations and broadening their horizons. If we failed to live up to our environmental responsibilities, however, the brighter future we strive to deliver for every child would become that much darker.

That’s why our overriding focus, in all we do, is sustainability.

This commitment manifests in varying ways across our business. Not only are we accredited to both the ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System and ISO 14001:2015 Environmental Management System, but our huge range of robust products is fine-tuned to withstand heavy, sustained usage – because we know that durability sits at the heart of sustainability. The longer something is fit for purpose, the better, as replacement demands new materials, the wastage of the old equipment (if not recyclable), the use of fuel, power, people and time to carry out removal, and the generating of emissions during disposal.

Producing durable finished products using responsible methods, however, is far from the summit of our ambition. In fact, our environmental focus begins long before the outset of the manufacturing process, and even before each individual component has passed through the gates of our West Yorkshire factory, because we strive to participate in a sustainable supply chain with quality, responsibly sourced raw materials at its heart:

Wood

Timber

Timber is an essential material in our work, used primarily in our naturalistic Orchard range – and we strive to ensure not only that it is sustainably sourced, but smartly applied to ensure maximum longevity.

Our FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified supplier handles slow grown pine logs derived from strictly controlled sources, either through government body approved felling licences or forest/woodland management plans. They also encourage the recycling of their products during manufacturing, with all wastage repurposed – including in a local biomass plant that produces electricity and heat.

The timber we purchase for use in our Orchard posts has been pressure treated against wet rot, dry rot and insect infestation, carried out after it has been cut and drilled (ensuring the coverage of all exposed timber). It has also been preservative pressure-treated with high-quality Tanalith 9000, which is proven at providing unrivalled protection.

A UK-sourced aluminium protective shoe maintains the timber above ground level, protecting the base of each post throughout its lifetime, and side ventilation holes allow the posts to breathe and stay dry. At the other end, a special rubber cap completely seals the post top, preventing moisture from entering the top grain.

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