1. Objectives
1.1) Establish our environmental management system.
1.2) Document our environmental management system.
1.3) Implement our environmental management system.
1.4) Maintain our environmental management system.
1.5) Continually improve our environmental management system.
2. Our environmental impacts.
Having undertaken a study to identify the impact our service has on the environment, we have identified the following:
2.1) Travel. We impact on the environment by travelling to and from areas where our materials are to be distributed. In addition, we travel to pick up materials from clients and from our base, as well as attending client meetings.
2.2) Wastage. We can impact on the environment when the materials we are given more materials to distribute than is required.
2.3) Print. There is an indirect impact on the environment when clients provide us with materials that have not been created in an environmentally friendly way.
3. Our environmental procedures.
In order to minimise our impact on the environment we implement the following procedures:
3.1) Travel. We have identified travel as a major contributor to our impact on the environment. It order to reduce this impact, the following procedures will be followed:
3.1.1) We will always take as many people to and from jobs in one vehicle as is legally allowed.
3.1.2) Distributers will carry as many items with them as is safe for them to carry in order to reduce the need to travel to re-stock distributers.
3.1.3) We will hold as much of our ‘stock’ in our storage facility in Glasgow, which is closer to our distributers and, hence, reduces the need for unnecessary travel.
3.1.4) We will conduct as much client interaction over the telephone and by e-mail as is feasible and will use public transport whenever possible
3.2) Wastage. We rely on clients providing the correct amount of materials to distribute so the control of this aspect is not completely in our hands. We do, however, implement the following procedures to limit the environmental impact:
3.2.1) Always seek to advise clients on the best areas to distribute, thereby ensuring that they only print enough materials to cover the areas that are most appropriate to their product or message. For example, there would be little point in a driveway company delivering marketing materials to flats or to council houses so we would advise them on the best areas to distribute to and will avoid delivering to properties that are not appropriate for their service.
3.2.2) Always take surplus materials to a recycling centre.
3.2.3) Where possible, re-use surplus stock.
3.4) Print. In the majority of jobs, our clients will provide the printed materials to be distributed so we have limited control over this aspect. We do, however, advise our clients to use recycled paper and environmentally friendly printing methods whenever possible.
4. Operational procedures.
4.1) Travel. Jobs will be scheduled in such a way as to minimise the number of vehicles used and to minimise the amount of travelling required to re-stock our distributers.
4.2) Wastage. Given that all of the materials we handle are either paper or cardboard, we ensure that any surplus is recycled in the most appropriate way. This is controlled by ensuring that all surplus materials are returned to base and from there are either sent to a recycling centre or, where appropriate are used again. We keep track of the amount of surplus materials by keeping a careful check on the number of items delivered against the number supplied, enabling us to tell how much surplus we have, if any.
As part of our standard service, we will work with our clients to ensure that their promotional and informational materials are targeted at the most appropriate ‘audience’ for their products or services in order to ensure that we are only delivering what is required. In addition, we use our systems to advise our clients how many properties are in any particular area so that they know how much they need to print, consequently minimising the over-printing of materials.
4.3) Print. Whenever possible we will advise clients to use environmentally friendly printing processes and paper. As discussed above, we shall also use our systems to help to ensure that they only print what they need which will not only reduce wastage but will also reduce the environmental impact of the printing process.
4.4) Communication. The majority of our internal and external communication will be done using electronic means, such as e-mail, text etc. in order to minimise the use of paper and print.
5. Review procedures
We will regularly review the suitability, adequacy, and effectiveness of our environmental management system in order to identifying opportunities for improvement. Opportunities for improvement will be assessed and changes will be made to our processes and procedures where appropriate.
We shall also assess whether or not our organization’s environmental objectives and should be changed. This will be done on an annual basis or more frequently should external factors, such as legislation, deem it to be necessary.