Sustainability Policy
Our Sustainability Policy is based on the following key principles:
To comply with, and exceed where appropriate, the guidelines laid out in BS8901 and all other applicable codes of practice, legislation and regulation
To ensure sustainability plays a key role in our business decision making
To fully engage our staff in promoting, executing and improving our policy
To engage, encourage and work with local charity and community groups
To promote to all stake holders including customers and suppliers and to encourage them to adopt sound sustainable management practices
Areas of Action – Practical Steps
1. Travel – we will,
Actively encourage staff to cycle, walk, or use public transport to get to work, and suppliers and customer meetings, where it is practical and cost effective
Use the train for European travel where appropriate
Avoid travelling to clients and supplier meetings when other alternative methods are available and practical such as email, telephone and web cam Where meetings are necessary, all attempts will be made to plan similar meetings in the same location to prevent multiple journeys
Make allowances for staff to work from home where and when appropriate
Manage and record all business mileage and emissions
Openly review, monitor and report on all KPI’s
2. Sales and Purchase – we will,
Monitor record and reduce the purchase of all office consumables including paper and identify other opportunities to reduce office waste.
Recycle office paper, computers, ink cartridges and other office equipment.
Aim to reduce the office energy consumption buy purchasing energy efficient equipment, energy saving labels and by good housekeeping.
Purchase electricity from a supplier committed to investing in renewable energy sources.
Use fair-trade suppliers for office beverages.
Review the life cycle of all products bought and sold based on a “cradle- to – grave” approach, which assesses the environmental aspects and potential impacts associated with the manufacture, use and disposal of the product.
Use couriers that are making efforts to combat CO2 emissions or who carbon trade.
Openly review, monitor and report on all KPI’s.
3. Design and Build
Although we work in an industry where our clients expect individual and dynamic designs, we will recycle and reuse as many elements as possible, into future designs, to reduce waste and extend product life through multiple ownership. This can be achieved through hire or part hire, part purchase.
Our aim is to advise all clients on the percentage of purchase that will go into land fill and explore ways to carbon offset any items, once recyclable options have been exhausted.
We will ensure that raw materials such as wood and ply are either recycled or sourced from sustainable sources and are Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified.
4. Carbon Foot Print
Our approach to exhibiting overseas is to find the most cost effective and sustainable solution for our clients, whilst maintaining our high levels of build quality and working practices. In the main this can be achieved by designing and project managing the program in the UK whilst using local labour for manufacture. This is achieved through our network of global partners, who in return, use us in the UK and mainland Europe for their builds, to achieve the same sustainability objectives for their clients.
5. Land Fill
As technology improves we are actively encouraging our clients to choose, and our suppliers to provide, alternative materials for banner and graphic printing. With biodegradable and recycled materials and water based ink technology, we are on the way to replacing PVC’s and other long life substrates.
6. Supporting Charities and the Local Community
We appreciate the importance of charity organisations within the local community. Where possible, we will support them by offering products and services at cost, on loan, or free of charge at our discretion. In return, we ask that the charity or organisation add a link to our website from an indexed page of their website (we can advise which pages are suitable). We also ask that a brief case study is supplied along with images of our equipment in use. Failure to provide this information will result in a full invoice. Any delivery costs will need to be covered by the charity or local community.
The company has a policy of not sending out Christmas cards. Instead each year a donation is made to a charity, nominated by our employees. The chosen charity changes on an annual basis.
7. Suppliers and Other Stakeholders
As part of our ethical and sustainability strategy we have regular dialogue with our suppliers and other stakeholders to ensure that they are making attempts to replicate our own working practices. This can include requests to change product materials from existing to those that are more environmentally friendly, recyclable or sustainable. Where suppliers are importing products we request proof of province to ensure that human rights have not been breached.
We work closely with our suppliers and encourage “business partnerships” rather than traditional customer supplier relationships.
