Sustainability
Responsible Sourcing & Materials
The people who make our pieces
Long relationships are what make real improvement possible
We work only with suppliers we trust to hold the same standards we do. That trust isn't established in a season; it's built over years of visiting the same workshops, meeting the same teams, and improving the same processes together.
We have worked with our largest supplier for twelve years, since the year Atkin & Thyme began. Several others have been with us almost as long. Because those relationships are stable, we can raise a question about timber traceability, ventilation or packaging and expect it to be worked on rather than quoted for.
It also means our suppliers can plan. A workshop that knows what we'll be ordering in eighteen months can invest in its people and its premises, rather than chasing the next order.
12yrs
Working with our largest supplier
Weekly
Onsite quality chesks by our local QC teams
Workforce
A fair price is the starting point, not the gesture.
The people behind the furniture
We strongly believe in acting honestly and sustainably in everything we do, and we work only with suppliers who we trust to uphold these same values. We have longstanding relationships with our manufacturing partners, including a 12-year relationship with our largest supplier. This continuity allows us to collaborate closely, maintain high standards and make continual improvements across all aspects of sustainability.
We expect our suppliers to meet our standards for product quality, material traceability and safe working practices. Where relevant, we review:
- The location of manufacturing workshops.
- The source and documentation for key materials.
- Workplace health and safety.
- Modern-slavery and human-rights risks.
- Supplier environmental policies.
- Relevant product, timber and material certifications.
We continue to build a clearer picture of our supply chain so that we can ask better questions, make more informed decisions and share useful information with our customers.
Materials and timber
The right wood for the piece, from a source we can trace.
Wherever we can, we choose the most responsible timber option available for each piece. Every supplier is required to source wood from traceable, responsibly managed origins, and 80% of our cabinetry suppliers work exclusively with FSC-certified timber.
97% of our range is made from woods grown close to the workshops where the pieces are made, from acacia, mango and rubberwood. These are fast-growing hardwoods, available locally to our makers, and they carry the grain and weight that our pieces are designed around. Mango and rubberwood in particular come from trees at the end of their productive fruiting or tapping lives, which would otherwise be cleared.
Veneers are used case by case, not as a default. Where a solid panel would warp, split or waste timber unnecessarily, a veneer over a stable substrate is the better answer for the life of the piece as much as for the forest. We say which is which on every product page, because a description that overstates what a piece is made of is its own kind of waste.
80%
Of our cabinetry suppliers use only FSC-certified timber
97%
Of the range made from locally grown acacia, mango and rubberwood
How we use the word “local”
For this statement, “locally grown” means timber grown in the same region as the workshop producing the relevant piece. This does not necessarily mean that the timber is grown in the UK.
Delivery
Fewer miles driven, and the packaging taken back out again.
Our delivery partners use route-planning software to group deliveries by location and sequence. This helps reduce avoidable mileage and supports more efficient use of vehicles on the road.
For larger items delivered by our two-person team, packaging can be removed from customers’ homes after delivery. 93% of the packaging removed through this service is sent for recycling.
Delivery will always have an environmental impact, particularly for large furniture. We continue to review how products are packed, transported and delivered so that we can reduce unnecessary waste while ensuring each piece arrives safely.
93%
The packaging removed from customers' homes is recycled by our two-person delivery partner
The 93% figure relates to packaging removed through our two-person delivery service and sent to recycling streams by our delivery partner. Figures are reviewed periodically and may change as delivery partners, packaging specifications and recycling routes evolve.
Packaging
Enough to protect the piece. Not more.
Packaging is a balance, and we treat it as one. Too little and a marble top arrives chipped, which is the most wasteful outcome of all: a whole piece remade and shipped again. Too much, and we are sending material to be disposed of the moment it arrives.
We specify packaging made from recycled sources wherever it is available and fit for the job, and we review each specification on a waste-versus-protection basis rather than defaulting to the heaviest option.
We report our plastic packaging under the UK's Extended Producer Responsibility scheme, and we use a recognised compliance agency to help us make sure those figures are accurate.
Once your furniture arrives
- Flatten and recycle cardboard and paper packaging where accepted locally.
- Keep recyclable packaging dry and clean.
- Ask the delivery team whether packaging removal is available for your order.
- Follow local council guidance for plastic film, foam and other protective materials.
- Reuse suitable packaging when storing or moving furniture.
Only identify specific materials as recyclable once the relevant waste route has been confirmed.
Waste
A damaged piece is still a piece. It should end up in a home.
In our warehouse, we prioritise reuse and recycling wherever practical. Materials that cannot be reused or recycled are passed to appropriate waste-management providers rather than disposed of through unverified or unsuitable routes.
When customer returns arrive damaged, we do not automatically write them off. Where appropriate, we donate pieces to our charity partner, Furnishing Futures, a registered charity that furnishes empty social homes for women and children who have escaped domestic abuse.
Furnishing Futures explains that less than 2% of social housing tenancies in the UK come furnished. This means that a sideboard with a scratched corner can have far more value in a home that needs it than it would as discarded furniture.
Other pieces may be sold through our outlet store in Kings Lynn, where a small mark or scuff can be part of the character of an otherwise useful piece. This gives furniture a second route into a home rather than treating cosmetic damage as a reason for disposal.
What happens to a damaged return?
- We assess whether the item can be safely reused.
- We identify whether it can be donated, repaired or sold through our outlet.
- We recycle suitable materials and components where practical.
- We use appropriate waste-management routes only when reuse or recycling is not possible.
Longevity and care
Made to be kept
The longest-lasting piece is usually the one with the lowest impact over time. We design our furniture around durable materials, practical construction and finishes selected for everyday living.
Every product needs the right care to stay at its best. Our care guidance covers cleaning, protecting and maintaining the materials used in each piece, helping customers extend its useful life rather than replace it prematurely.
To support this, we provide:
- Product-specific care instructions.
- Guidance on timber, upholstery, rattan and outdoor materials.
- Advice for dealing with spills and everyday wear.
- Information about replacement parts where available.
- Recommendations for storing and protecting outdoor furniture.
Our Progress
Practical improvements, shared openly
We do not claim to have removed the environmental impact of making and delivering furniture. Instead, we focus on practical improvements: better material information, more responsible sourcing, less avoidable packaging and products designed to remain useful for longer.
We are working to:
- Increase the amount of product-specific material information available.
- Improve visibility across our supplier base.
- Review packaging materials and reduce unnecessary packaging.
- Expand care, repair and replacement guidance.
- Measure waste and recycling more consistently.
- Understand the environmental impact of materials, manufacture and delivery.
- Be clearer about the evidence behind the claims we make.
We would rather make measured, verifiable progress than make claims that cannot be supported.
Information reviewed: September 2026.
We will update this page as our supplier information, packaging data and delivery processes develop.
Questions about our products?
If you would like more information about the materials, manufacture, packaging or care of a particular product, please contact our team before ordering.
Email: info@atkinandthyme.co.uk
Telephone: 01462 412 100
