Environmental Management
Prevention of pollution
First and foremost is our responsibility to the world around us. Our site waste management plan ensures we re-use or recycle as much waste as we can: over the past two years we have reduced the amount of waste we send to landfill by more than 60%. We have procedures in place for handling chemicals to prevent spills. We opt for energy saving equipment wherever we can. Our staff are enthusiastic and thoughtful when it comes to environmental issues, and some great ideas result from our in-house environmental training sessions. We firmly believe that by making small, manageable changes, we can make a real difference without compromising the quality and service our customers expect.
Legal compliance
It sounds obvious, but complying with environmental law can be complex and expensive. That’s why we dedicate resources to keeping our legal register up to date, taking time to ensure we are doing all we can to fulfil the requirements of UK and European legislation. We regularly audit our compliance and set targets for improving performance. Customers can be assured that all our products are correctly labelled, and comprehensive safety data sheets are available for all hazardous substances. We keep a database of packaging weights and can assist customers in compiling data for the annual submission of packaging data under the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 2007.
Continual improvement
We are proud of what we have achieved so far, but it doesn’t stop there. We have a continual programme of environmental objective-setting, and all year round we monitor our energy consumption and our waste output to keep meeting targets. We review our environmental impact assessment annually, or if we make any significant operational changes, so we spot potential problems before they develop and we are always working to control our environmental impact. There are endless possibilities for becoming even better.
The products we stock are carefully controlled, and any environmental hazards are clearly labelled. We are mindful of our environmental objectives in our purchasing strategies and we look for environmentally responsible alternatives to hazardous products, hoping to support the rest of the supply chain in managing environmental aspects.
For more information on our Environmental Management System and the projects we are currently working on, please contact our Environmental Officer, John Hands.