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Environmental Management System

GBUK Group is committed to delivering strategic growth and minimising our environmental impact. Without compromising the quality of our products and services, we aim to:

Maintain

Maintain a robust environmental management system to measure performance & improvement

Comply

Comply with international standards and legal requirements

Prevent

Prevent pollution, reduce waste and minimise consumption

Educate

Educate, train and motivate employees to act in an environmentally responsible manner

Reduction

Promote carbon reduction and environmental protection amongst all stakeholders

The Board of Directors analysed all business operations and set two strategic goals:

  1. To offer a carbon neutral service to customers
  2. To promote carbon reduction in the products consumed by our customers

Carbon reducing measures now form an integral part of the GBUK Group strategy and are expected to improve operational performance, benefit customers and reduce emissions.

To deliver its strategy, GBUK Group has adopted a three-stage loop:

Raise Awareness

To raise awareness, both internal and external, of our environmental footprint and strategic response

  • Compliance with all current energy legislation, seeking to meet or better legislative targets
  • Carbon footprint recognition in all relevant GBUK Group policies
  • Staff awareness training and enlisting staff support in improving our performance
  • Encouraging the adoption of similar environmental principles by our strategic partners
  • Calculating our CO2 impact and monitoring our performance

Promote Reduction

To promote activities that reduce emissions per £1,000,000 of turnover, whilst still delivering strategic growth

Business Facilities

  • Renewable energy sources
  • Recycling, and the use of recycled products
  • Energy efficient equipment and devices, including ICT
  • Energy efficient heating & cooling systems
  • Motion activated lighting and LED lighting

Business Travel

  • Digital communication to avoid the need to travel
  • Lower carbon options when travel is required
  • Vehicle sharing for work and commuting
  • Electric vehicle ownership

Supply Chain Transport

  • Freight partners who share our environmental principles (DPD)
  • Efficient transit routes and transport
  • Minimal dead space on shipments

Packaging Materials

  • Avoiding unnecessary plastic packaging
  • Recycled packaging
  • Bio-degradable packaging

Products

  • Avoiding unnecessary SKUs in a product range
  • Recycled materials
  • Bio-degradable materials
  • Recycling amongst all strategic partners

Deliver a Net Zero Service

To deliver a carbon neutral service to our customers by recognising the carbon footprint, we are funding appropriate schemes to offset the impact

  • Using an accredited program to offset the annual carbon footprint of our service operations across business facilities, business travel, supply chain transport and packaging materials
  • Encouraging customers to use our products responsibly and aim for Net Zero consumption

Performance 2021

CO2 Tonnes in 2021 = 3,308

CO2 Tonnes / £1,000,000 Turnover = 55.97

CO2 Tonnes / FTE = 33.08

Promote Reduction

To promote service and product activities that reduce emissions per £1,000,000 of turnover, whilst still delivering strategic growth

Promote Reduction

To promote service and product activities that reduce emissions per GBP£ of turnover, whilst still delivering strategic growth

Business Facilities

  • Renewable energy sources
  • Recycling, and the use of recycled products
  • Energy efficient equipment and devices, including ICT
  • Energy efficient heating & cooling systems
  • Motion activated lighting and LED lighting

Business Travel

  • Digital communication to avoid the need to travel
  • Lower carbon options when travel is required
  • Vehicle sharing for work and commuting
  • Electric vehicle ownership

Supply Chain Transport

  • Freight partners who share our environmental principles (DPD)
  • Efficient transit routes and transport
  • Minimal dead space on shipments

Packaging Materials

  • Avoiding unnecessary plastic packaging (air pillows)
  • Recycled packaging (banana)
  • Bio-degradable packaging

Customer Product

  • Avoiding unnecessary stock keeping units in a product range
  • Recycled materials
  • Bio-degradable materials
  • Recycling amongst all strategic partners

Deliver Net Zero Service

To deliver a carbon neutral service to our customers by recognising our remaining carbon footprint and funding appropriate schemes to offset the impact

  • GBUK Group intends to offer a Net Zero service to customers by offsetting CO2 Work in partnership with:
    • Centre for Sustainable Healthcare (https://sustainablehealthcare.org.uk/)
    • NHS Forest (https://nhsforest.org/)
    • Carbon Footprint (https://www.carbonfootprint.com/) – offset funding supports Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) carbon reduction projects that include carbon avoidance, clean & renewable energy generation and additional social benefits across the world
  • GBUK Group measured its baseline carbon footprint as 41.87 tonnes per £m turnover in 2019, with a total CO2 of 1,989 tonnes
  • In 2020, GBUK Group reduced its carbon footprint to 40.36 tonnes per £m turnover whilst support of the UK Covid-19 pandemic response increasing total CO2 to 3,374 tonnes,
  • In 2021, GBUK Group reduced its carbon footprint total CO2 to 3,308 tonnes, but tonnes per £m turnover increased to 55.97 due to the impact of Covid-19 on sales
  • And encourage customers to use our products responsibly and aim for Net Zero consumption