GO-GREEN
WHY SUSTAINABILITY MATTERS
In a recent survey carried out by YouGov, on behalf of Deloitte, they explored ‘how consumers are adopting a more sustainable lifestyle. Nearly 1 In 3 consumers claimed to have stopped purchasing certain brands or products because they had ethical or sustainability related concerns about them.’ This shows that ethical and sustainability issues remain a key driver for almost a third of consumers. Their research also highlights around one in five has opted for low carbon transport or switched to renewable energy.
OUR GO-GREEN SUSTAINABILITY PROGRAMME
Making the commitment to Go-Green means we are putting responsibility at the heart of our business. We are all committed to reducing our environmental impact, investing in our people, supporting our customers and working ethically with our suppliers. We are proud that our product is manufactured, designed, tested, installed and supported from our base in Caerphilly, South Wales.
GARRANS METHOD OF WORKING
1.
MANUFACTURING PROCESSES
We work with a diverse range of UK clients. Many of our products share extensive design and technical similarities.
For example, we use the same steel in multiple products. Therefore, we always keep high volumes of steel in stock, as well as us having contingency planning in place-to-place orders at short notice with back up suppliers.
We manufacture the majority of products within GARRAN and are not reliant on third party suppliers to provide any form of the manufacturing process, other than raw material supplies.
Our skilled workforce is in place to ensure that we only manufacture products as needed. However, for some standard specification product – we do manufacture excess numbers of equipment to be placed into stock for rapid response to short term or urgent requests.
Our approach is sustainable. We have virtually zero waste from our processes. Any off cuts of steel from our process can be fully recycled and are placed into a specialist storage collection unit. Therefore, each steel unit manufactured can legitimately claim that less than 1.5% product waste occurs as a result of an order being placed. We manufacture thousands of locker units annually for context of this statistic.
2.
MATERIALS SOURCED
We ensure that our raw materials are sourced from sustainable suppliers.
Steel is fully recyclable and is the most recycled material in the world. Recycled steel is used in the manufacture of all new steel.
Our timber supplier sources its timber from well managed forests controlled by such organisations as the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) or Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (CEFC) and import under the European Timber Regulation (EUTR).
At the end of life our steel lockers are 99% recyclable.
We average approximately 8.4 Tonne of steel scrap per week which is taken away and recycled.
3.
PRODUCT PACKAGING
In 99% of all cases, all products ordered will make their journey to a client in one of our own delivery vehicles.
As we install the products we make, it’s therefore common that packaging is very limited. In the majority of cases, we use corrugated cardboard to cover the exterior paint surfaces of the locker units in transit. This is removed during the installation process and returned to HQ on most occasions where it is placed in a designated container and removed from site by DS Smith recycling. The cardboard is then taken to one of their centres where it is turned to pulp for re-use.
If we were not installing the units then of course we seek to minimise packaging as we:
Receive raw materials in bulk – often on uncovered pallets on covered HGV vehicles – meaning that wood and any plastic can be sent for recycling where possible.
We control the delivery of our own manufactured equipment in our own branded vehicles – we minimise the need for additional packaging aside from reusable bubble wrap when in transit.
We have facilities (skips) for off cut waste (steel) to be placed in which is then fully recycled – no packaging needed for this part of the process.
We use all local suppliers for steel and packaging materials and local provider for the recycling processes.
4.
DELIVERY
GARRAN provides a major benefit to its client as we offer a fully turnkey solution. From design to manufacture, we control the processes internally. The same also applies to our logistics model.
We have our own fleet of commercial vehicles all fully equipped to support our installation engineering teams.
The process works as follows…
- Client confirms delivery destination and requirements.
- GARRAN provides confirmed delivery and installation dates.
- Delivery takes place using our own branded vehicles – with branded uniforms on employees.
- Temporary packaging remains on the product until it is ready for installation on the premises. Packaging is then removed and placed into the installation vehicle ahead of return journey back to HQ.
- Delivery and Installation Sign Off completed.
It’s rare that we can legitimately group deliveries together to reduce our carbon emissions – however, we do look at our route planning and aim to use the most fuel-efficient routes where possible.
All our company vehicles use GPS vehicle tracking so we can monitor driver behaviours to avoid unnecessary fuel use or harsh driving techniques.
5.
TRANSPORT
Currently 50% of our vehicles are Euro 6. By March 2022 we plan to upgrade all vehicles to Euro 6. Due to some of the distances we need to travel, full electric commercial vehicles remain a clear goal but for a number of reasons it is not yet commercially viable for us as a business – but we have a commitment to increasing investing as the technology becomes more affordable.
In the shorter, current term, we have invested in Euro 6 compliant vehicles, meaning they are the cleanest available in their category.
All vehicles are GPS tracked, and we use route planning software to better plan our journeys for less traffic disruption, even if that means a slightly longer journey.
6.
OUR DAY-TO-DAY GREEN POLICIES
WATER EFFICIENCY MEASURES
Water efficiency is important to our business as we want to reduce our consumption of water both from an environmental and business cost point of view.
We’ve taken small but measurable steps to reduce our water consumption.
This is far more efficient as it avoids the increased energy consumed by boiling a kettle repeatedly with too much water in it. With the unit that we have in place, it only uses enough energy to make each drink – so it reduces the water consumption impact as well as lesser energy (electricity costs).
Company vehicles are washed off site on commercial premises where the water used in the process is harvested and recycled to be used again – making this use of water far more sustainable and efficient.
Aside from that, our water consumption for the business is minimal. We don’t use water for any other purposes on the premises therefore our water consumption remains low as a whole and we have no reason to see any increase in water consumption for the future.
WASTED ELECTRICITY
We operate a strictly enforced ‘Switch it off’ Policy across our business. There are posters and signs across our premises that advocate sensible use of electrical goods from power tools and manufacturing equipment through to our IT networks and machinery. Implementing this policy has reduced electrical consumption across our premises by 12% per annum in terms of raw electricity consumption.
All staff receive guidance and briefings from their Heads of Department on how they can play a key part in reducing both costs and environmental impact in the business by taking a few small steps each day.
We are changing existing lights from standard to energy efficient LED lighting – reducing electricity usage. Also looking to change to sensor lighting in some areas so to reduce energy uses further.
PAPER
Like many businesses, we strive to achieve paperless working where we can, although a small degree of printing requirement is inevitable. However, we only use 100% recycled paper and we re-use paper where possible for taking notes, printing double sided etc.
We use electronic working methods throughout our procurement, manufacturing, sales and customer supporting divisions – so we do try where possible to limit paper use as best as possible.
7.
FUTURE-PROOFING GARRAN
We are committed to promoting and maintaining an environment policy to ensure that the impact of our operations on the environment is reduced to as low a level as is practically and economically feasible.
- Investment in new vehicles to meet CO2 new legislations.
- Regularly review all stages of our operations to minimise our impact on the environment.
- Ensure that we comply with the spirit and the letter of national legislation and local regulatory controls.
- Endeavour to reduce the amount of waste produced and dispose of such waste in a safe and responsible way, re-using or recycling where applicable.
- Monitor and measure all environmentally significant emissions and discharges to water, air and land to minimise the environmental impact.
- Establish procedures to prevent pollution and conserve energy wherever possible and undertake programmes to continuously improve our environmental performance.
- Minimise the environmental impact of any processes by employing the best available techniques not entailing excessive cost.
- Promote environmental principles by sharing and exchanging information of environmental importance with regulatory bodies, professional associations, customers, suppliers, contractors and employees.
- Establish environmental training needs within the company and maintain training programmes.
- Develop and maintain an environmental management system, setting objectives and targets, as well as reviewing this policy, on a regular basis.
