Environmental Policy

This organisation is committed to improving its environmental performance by complying with relevant guidance and regulation and by adopting modern methods of environmental management and sustainable development to improve environmental performance, wherever practicable.

Aim of this Policy

The aim of this policy is to enable this organisation to:

• reduce its impact on the environment
• ensure compliance with environmental legislation and regulations
• ensure the effectiveness of its environmental management system
• reduce its use of energy and resources
• minimise its waste
• reduce unforeseen environmental risks.

The executive directors of this company are accountable for the effectiveness of its EMS and will commit the resources necessary to:

• meet or exceed the requirements of all environmental legislation under which they are obligated
• take all essential measures to prevent pollution when handling fuels and other hazardous materials associated with their production facilities
• maintain the continual improvement of its environmental performance through the regular review of its management system.

Waste Management and Recycling

In this business:

• all waste will be segregated into appropriate waste streams prior to disposal
• all waste appropriate for recycling (ie plastics, paper, tins and glass) will be placed in the appropriate receptacles ready for collection by recycling services
• all other domestic waste will be placed inside black waste bags
• all hazardous or clinical waste will be placed in yellow waste bags in accordance with the Clinical Waste Policy
• all “sharps” will be placed inside purpose-built sharps disposal boxes in accordance with the Clinical Waste Policy
• all electrical waste will be disposed of according to the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations (WEEE)
• discarded furniture and office equipment will be offered to charity for recycling or reuse.

The organisation intends to comply with all current national and local waste management laws, policies and procedures. The organisation will liaise regularly with the appropriate local authority department to regularly review its performance in this area.

Energy Efficiency

To conserve power, staff should:

• turn off non-essential lights and power sources when not in use
• keep windows and doors closed when using heating
• report malfunctioning thermostats on radiators immediately.

In addition, the organisation will invest in energy efficient buildings by:

• installing and running energy efficient boilers and heating systems
• using “smart” metering to monitor usage
• ensuring that boilers and heating systems are regularly serviced and properly maintained
• ensuring that energy efficient light bulbs and low power or energy efficient equipment are used wherever possible
• ensuring that all buildings, pipes and lofts are properly insulated and maintained
• monitoring bills and arranging “green” gas and electricity tariffs.

Water Use and Wastage

In this organisation, water will be metered and its use monitored. Staff will optimise water use to conserve supplies and the company will incorporate water-saving measures as necessary to reduce consumption. System failures such as dripping taps and leaking pipes will be reported and remediated immediately.

Sustainable Procurement

This organisation will ensure that all resources, goods and services are only bought or contracted from organisations and companies who have sustainable use policies in place. Those staff responsible for purchasing should ensure that suppliers use environmentally acceptable packaging.

Pollution

Pollution will be minimised by:

• investing in cleaner equipment and processes wherever practicable
• ensuring that existing equipment is maintained and serviced
• ensuring that any dangerous substances are used and disposed of properly.

Transport

In this organisation, the environmental impact of transport used will be minimised by:

• ensuring that all vehicles and transports operated by the organisation are serviced regularly and are kept in good condition, thus enabling them to run efficiently
• eliminating the use of vehicles for unnecessary trips
• encouraging and facilitating vehicle sharing where possible
• moving to low-emission vehicle use wherever possible
• supporting staff use of public transport, cycling and walking to travel to and from work.

Environmental Management Systems

This organisation will co-ordinate its sustainable development processes through the implementation of an appropriate Environmental Management System (EMS).

As part of the organisation’s EMS, it will:

• identify operational aspects and monitor any environmental impacts of the organisations’ activities and wastes through the use of an environmental audit
• set measurable targets to reduce impacts and continually improve environmental performance
• review this policy and environmental performance regularly
• keep relevant environmental records and reports
• provide environmental awareness training for staff.

Review

This policy will be reviewed and updated annually.