Ecomerchant

A Swindon-based independent builders' merchant that supplies natural, low-impact building materials to the trade and the public across the UK.

About Ecomerchant

Ecomerchant is a builders' merchant, which means it sells building materials, but it picks only materials it judges to be ethical and low in environmental impact. Its range covers insulation and airtightness products, lime and clay plasters, natural paints, thermal blocks, windows and doors, roofing, flooring made from certified timber, rainwater and drainage products, and renewable energy equipment. Customers include builders, self-builders and people retrofitting existing homes. Its site says it does not stock products that fail its ethical and environmental standards, and it lists certifications such as FSC and PEFC for timber and AECB for low-energy building.

The company says it has been championing natural building solutions since 1998. Its stated mission is to make ethically sourced, sustainable building materials accessible and affordable for everyone. Its listed values include putting sustainability first, long-term thinking, health and wellbeing, independence and innovation, ethical collaboration, leadership through knowledge, reducing waste and respect for nature. It describes itself as driven by purpose, not profit. We did not find the names of the founders in the pages we read.

Ecomerchant's head office is at the National Self Build and Renovation Centre on Great Western Way in Swindon, Wiltshire. It holds stock in several warehouses around the UK, though the page we read did not name them. Directory pages show it as a member of the AECB, a UK network for low-energy building professionals, and the Alliance for Sustainable Building Products. In a February 2024 podcast, its representative Will Kirkman talked about natural materials and healthier homes and said embodied carbon, the carbon released in making a material, has long been on the company's agenda.

The company says it is employee-owned, with a significant shareholding held by a charitable foundation called La Renaissance. A team of product experts selects the materials, and it says it shares knowledge to promote best practice. Customer testimonials on a directory page praise the sales staff as knowledgeable and helpful. Those are the company's claims and customer comments, not an independent review.

Roles at a merchant like this include sales and technical advisers who help customers choose products, buyers who source materials and check their credentials, warehouse and logistics staff, and marketing and customer service teams. Many customers are people planning low-energy or healthy homes, so an interest in the science of heat, moisture and materials is useful. Look at the company's website for current vacancies and its latest product range.

What they do

• {'desc': 'Sheep wool and other insulation, membranes, tapes and liquid systems.', 'title': 'Natural insulation and airtightness'}
• {'desc': 'Breathable wall finishes and renders.', 'title': 'Lime and clay plasters and paints'}
• {'desc': 'Rainwater harvesting, drainage, renewables and landscaping materials.', 'title': 'Water, energy and landscaping products'}

Key facts

• Says it has championed natural building solutions since 1998
• Head office at the National Self Build and Renovation Centre, Swindon
• Employee-owned, with a charitable foundation as a significant shareholder (company statement)
• Member of the AECB and the Alliance for Sustainable Building Products (directory entries)

Website: www.ecomerchant.co.uk