B&Q has announced it will set up a 'Junior Board' made up of 17-19 year olds, to advise the retailer on 'next generation sustainability'.
Members of the junior board will be selected next year and, once formed, will present to the B&Q board proper on a quarterly basis.

B&Q's director of social responsibility Matt Sexton announced the plan at an international conference held at Bradford University on the subject of closed loop thinking. He said: "This is a fantastic opportunity, firstly for us as a business to hear the ideas and recommendations of the next generation of business people, and secondly for young people to have a very real impact on the three million people that walk through our doors every week with the sole intention of making eco-improvements to their home.

"We recognise that we don't have all the answers and the creation of a junior board will enable us to work together to find the solutions, aided by people with the skills and passion needed to get us to a more sustainable future."

The news follows the announcement last month that B&Q is partnering with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation to look at fully sustainable, closed-loop product design.