Verified quality, safety and sustainability
Quality management
We are ISO 9001 (Quality Management Systems) certified, and our accreditation to this standard ensures that we consistently maintain our high product quality standards and are continually making improvements in our processes.
Product safety
All of our product ranges are regularly tested by an accredited laboratory (e.g. TÜV, FIRA, SGS) and third-party test certificates to the most relevant British, European or ISO standard are available on request.
To provide the best protection for children, Community Playthings works with the Eurofins lab to evaluate our products against the most stringent indoor air quality standards in Europe, if not the world. We have certified the vast majority of our products to the Eurofins Indoor Air Comfort Gold standard. The finish we use on our wooden products is water-based and we use no harmful substances such as PVC, BPA, PFAS or chemical flame retardants. We have also phased out other chemicals that the industry still considers safe, but which some studies suggest could be harmful for children.
Sustainability
Community Playthings received the King’s Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development 2025 – the most prestigious business award in the country. Read more about our sustainable practices.
Our ISO 14001 certification helps us to:
- minimise how our operations negatively affect the environment
- continually improve our environmental performance
- comply with applicable regulations and other environmental requirements
The Furniture Industry Sustainability Programme or FISP is an independently certified sustainability programme tailored to the needs of the furniture industry value chain. FISP promotes best practise to drive social, economic and environmental change, via continual improvement of members’ business operations. We became one of the first members of FISP in 2007.
As manufacturers of high-quality educational furniture and play equipment, solid hardwood is our preferred material. All of the wood we use is either FSC® certified or PEFC certified, ensuring that the forests of harvest are sustainably and responsibly managed, and that there is an unbroken chain of custody all the way to our customers. Thus, we can rest assured that our products do not contribute to deforestation, forest degradation or habitat destruction. Additionally, solid wood has a far lower carbon footprint than other common furniture materials such as MDF or MFC.
Community Playthings has a policy of waste reduction, and we operate a programme of waste segregation to divert waste from landfill. We re-use or recycle all cardboard, stretch film and wood packaging from our suppliers. All the packaging we use is recyclable and our packaging supplier uses a large percentageof recycled content in our cartons (65-85%) and foam packaging (30-95%). Our membership with a compliance scheme, Wastepack, ensures our fulfilment ofour recovery and recycling obligations.
Health and safety
Our goal is to provide a safe, clean, and healthy environment for people to work in, minimising all risks that people may face while on our premises.
We maintain an Occupational Health and Safety Management System (OHSMS) with the necessary safe systems of work. We conduct risk assessments and review them regularly. We consult with our workforce on safety matters and take action where concerns are raised. Top management is committed to the OHSMS and provides the resources necessary for its implementation.
We employ the services of a chartered Health and Safety consultancy firm, RB Health and Safety, which provides “competent advice” and ensures that we meet all of our Health and Safety compliance obligations.
We have also achieved Constructionline Gold accreditation, which includes compliance with the Once For All Health & Safety SSIP (Safety Schemes in Procurement).
Memberships
Community Playthings is a recognised supplier of the Confederation of School Trusts. CST only accept suppliers with a proven track record of working with the school trusts, so you can be confident that recognised suppliers are reputable firms that understand the needs of the sector.
As a member of the British Educational Suppliers Association, we are committed to high standards and ethical behaviour and adhere to BESA’s mandatory Code of Practice. Suppliers that are Backed by BESA engage with educators responsibly and transparently so that you can buy with confidence.
