The Day our Customer Unleashed the Sleeping Eco-Dragon !

OK, so now I have your attention - I'll explain!! We had a really nice email recently from a customer asking questions about our packaging, was it recyclable, did we have to use plastic, what were we doing to protect the environment etc.? Well, it might have taken her a couple of hours to read our reply, but the lovely lady got us onto one of our favourite subjects, and once we start, it's hard to know where to stop!!

When we first applied for a Royal Warrant, it made us have a look at what we do for the environment, we were really pleased the answer was simple, 'we do loads' but there was also 'loads' more to do. It all starts with having the right attitude and desire and cascading it across the company, so we all try to do the right thing and we know it will always be supported by Connevans.

Photo by Shane Rounce / Unsplash
So in no particular order, here are some of the things we do for our planet ...

• We re-use all incoming packaging where we can
• Our company car policy is to only buy hybrid or electric cars (we've sold our old diesels)
• We spent £30k+ on solar panels around 5 years ago, they have almost paid for themselves
• We have an outside charging point, so I can charge my car and drive home on sunshine!
• Ross takes a particular plastic to Sainsburys at the weekend that our collector cannot recycle (Sainsburys can)
• Wendy takes crisp packets to a shop in her village to be recycled
• Goods Inwards recycle all incoming cardboard boxes & packaging
• We use paper glue tape rather than plastic
• Our internal parcel packaging is biodegradeable or compostable
• We use a specialist recycling company to collect our waste & recycling, it's more expensive than our local council, but they recycle or re-use 100% of all their collections.
• All staff members have a green bin by their desks for recycling (as well as a normal one!)
• All mixed paper & cardboard/metal/glass/plastic bottles are recycled.
• The fruit we make available to our staff is sourced from a local greengrocer, supporting the local economy.
• We encourage our staff to cycle to work by having shower facilities and cycle racks.
• We have a communal staff mini ‘allotment’ at the back of our premises, where we grow salad & vegetables.
• We have a ‘Green Champion’ in our company, responsible for environmental issues. This is Me !!.
• We manufacture in the UK and we source from the UK wherever possible, thus minimising the carbon footprint of our products.
• When re‐charging is required for our electrical products, our chargers switch off automatically when the charge is complete, saving unnecessary power.
• Our equipment is designed to last & if required, to be repaired, not to be used & thrown away.
• We are able to support all Connevans manufactured products for at least 8 years, giving them a considerably longer‐than‐average lifetime.
• Connevans is a certified member of The European‐wide WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) Directive, which controls how WEEE may be disposed of and recycled at the end of its working life.
• We send as few parcels as possible and avoid ‘part‐shipping’ our orders to minimise the carbon impact.
  Our Working
• We are mindful of the need for energy efficiency measures and our building is only heated & lit when people are in it.
• All electronic equipment is switched off when not in use and power is cut centrally at the end of the day.
• Our cleaner uses bio‐degradable products and works when the company is open for business,rather than after business hours, so avoiding extra lighting/heating.
• We recycle all paper, cardboard, scrap metal, plastic bottles, glass and batteries through recognised schemes.
• We recycle all printer and toner cartridges through charity schemes.
• We make sure that we use scrap paper in our printers to ensure both sides of a page have been used before recycling the sheet. Staff are encouraged to use scrap paper for making notes.
• Our staff are trained in our environmental policy and encouraged to participate.
• We do not have a fleet of sales reps who routinely travel the country visiting customers. While we do make visits, we keep these to a minimum and always try to combine appointments to minimise travel and carbon footprint.
• We review our policy on an ongoing basis and always improve whenever we can. We are committed to our environment both globally & locally.

So that is a part of what we do for our planet - well done dear reader, you got to the end of our Marathon list ...

Photo by Pietro Rampazzo / Unsplash

If you would like to know more about what we do for our planet and how or why, just click here for lots more information & policies etc.

Or if you would like to email me directly, please send to phil@connevans.com

By the way, you might be wondering about me 'driving on sunshine', so here's how it works - solar panels on our roof are fed by sunshine, feeding into the Connevans building, which feeds the charging point for my car, I just charge it up when I am in the office and drive home on sunshine, simples !!