At the start of the year Stone Federation launched the At the start of the year Stone Federation launched the Ethical Stone Register specifically for the natural stone industry in response to The Modern Slavery Act.

One of the Federation members who took part in the Register’s pilot scheme was Amarestone, a British company supplying European natural stone for interior design, architectural and high-end residential projects. 

The Federation’s Chief Executive, Jane Buxey, spoke to Steve Turner, Amarestone’s Managing Director and also Vice-Chairman of the Stone Federation Interiors & Surface Materials Focus Group  about achieving Verification on the Register.

Jane Buxey: What was the motivation for engaging with this scheme?

Steve Turner: We were keen to be involved as soon as we heard about the scheme. My interest started many years ago after visiting several quarries and stone factories in France. It seemed normal practice that the quarry environment was carefully managed – many of the quarry sites were invisible from the road,  sometimes trees were planted to hide the site, and then, after the stone had been removed, the land was earthed over, replanted and nature returned. The quarries were legally obliged to have insurance guarantees in place to ensure this happened even if the quarry companies ceased trading.

This contrasted with some of my visits to quarries and factories in other countries and made me realise that this was not always the norm. Since then, I have been very keen that Amarestone is associated only with quarries working to these standards.

JB: Have you seen an increased demand from your clients for ethically and responsibly sourced natural stones?

ST: Yes. It is encouraging that we are receiving more and more questions about the sustainability and ethics of using natural stone.  Recent media coverage on child and slave labour will also generate more questions. Last year’s case of child labour in the Indian granite quarry and the latest reports of slave labour gangs operating in construction sites under our noses in London have really highlighted the need for better controls.

It has become an issue that must not be ignored and will trigger an even greater demand for ethically and responsibly sourced stone.

JB: How will this achievement benefit you as a company that supplies stones from many different locations?

ST: Firstly, it backs up our sustainability and ethical sourcing policy. It’s satisfying that it has been verified independently that we are doing the right thing.

Major players in the construction industry will want to avoid the potential embarrassment of unsavoury practices in their supply chain. The Ethical Stone Register will be the safe source for natural stone and I can foresee that it will become a key resource for the specifier.

Our entry on the register puts Amarestone at the very top of the list of suppliers for French limestone, which should help new customers to find us.

JB: What were the greatest challenges in meeting the criteria of the scheme?

ST: We always knew that as an ethically minded business, we were doing the right thing, but having written proof was still a challenge. It has led us to tracking and documenting our processes more carefully so that we can monitor our performance against the criteria. The natural stone that we supply to our clients was the obvious starting point but the scheme encouraged us also to think about all the other products that are consumed in the course of our business – even down to the hi-vis jackets and office stationery.

JB: How do you see ethics and responsibility in the sourcing of materials developing over the next five years?

ST: We are looking forward to a time in the near future when natural stone sourced through the Ethical Stone Register is widely recognised as one of the most sustainable and ethical building materials. We hope the Register will help make it easier for specifiers and clients to source high quality, sustainable materials and give them a go-to single point of contact for natural stone.