Green policy statement
Our ethos
Select Education Plc encourages its employees to keep the four 'R's - Reduce, Reuse, Repair, Recycle - at the forefront of everything we do in order to live greener lives at work and home. We also encourage environmental best practice amongst our clients and stakeholders.
We recognise that our work may have a direct or indirect effect on the local, regional and global environment. We are committed to reducing any harmful effects on the environment and promoting the understanding of sustainability in its broadest context.
We are continually improving the way we work to be more environmentally friendly in what we use and produce.
Our policy is to:
- Be a responsible corporate citizen
- Ensure that everyone at Select Education shares responsibility for our environmental performance
- Utilise raw materials and energy sparingly
- Develop and regularly re-evaluate our working practices in order to continuously improve our environmental performance
- Promote individual good practice
- Consider environmental impacts in our purchasing policies
- Promote sound environmental management policies and practices throughout the Company
- Comply with the requirements of relevant legislation as a minimum
- Reduce and, where practicable, prevent pollution
- Adopt targets for improving environmental performance
- Ensure a sound understanding of current environmental performance
- Adopt an inclusive approach to our environmental practice, inviting staff suggestions, comments, and actions
In accordance with these principles, our current activities include:
1. Waste reduction
Select Education is committed to a wide range of recycling schemes including:
- Recycling office paper and cardboard
- Recycling old computer hardware
- Recycling printer and photocopier toner cartridges
- Donating old office furniture and equipment to charity for re-use
We review our recycling schemes on an ongoing basis to ensure waste reduction in all the key business materials we use. We re-use paper before recycling and also use recycled paper for our day-to-day business needs.
2. Energy and water saving
Although Select Education abstracts no water directly, it is important for us to monitor our use of purchased water from third party suppliers. Collecting and disclosing information on water consumption allows us to measure and manage our use, and improve the efficiency of our operations whilst also reducing costs.
The nature of our business means we have low energy and water consumption but we are always looking at how to be more efficient no matter how small the saving. For example, our environmental officer checks that all lights, monitors and electronic equipment are turned off at the end of each day.
3. Transport
We will seek opportunities to reduce the need for travel in our own operations and when advising clients. We will encourage the use of public transport, car sharing and cycling for business and commuter travel. We also use bike messengers rather than motorbike couriers where possible.
Where cars are purchased or leased, they are fuel-efficient and fitted with a catalytic converter.
We encourage our staff to use unleaded petrol, limit speeds and drive in a way that reduces fuel consumption, keep tyres properly inflated, cars well maintained and engines properly tuned for maximum efficiency.
4. Environmental officer
Implementation of our environmental policy is the overall responsibility of the Company directors and line managers. However, our dedicated environmental officer is constantly looking at ways in which we can improve our green credentials and encouraging staff to THINK GREEN. Individual employees have a duty to co-operate with Select Education in complying with the policy requirements and working in such a manner to safeguard the environment.
5. Raw materials and supplies
- Where possible, we shall use recycled or environmentally friendly paper in our printers
- We shall invite staff to reduce unnecessary paper usage - where appropriate including double-sided printing, and photo-reduction
- The majority of non-telephone communication is via e-mail - all internal memos and messages are issued electronically
- Environmentally friendly initiatives are also encouraged in the use of low energy lighting and insulation of offices
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