Environmental Policy

POLICY STATEMENT

George Benson Ltd is a cleaning and building services company , primarily concerned with contract cleaning and building maintenance systems.

While the cleaning industry is not typically associated with high levels of pollution , it can significantly contribute to reducing environmental impact by responsibly managing waste disposal, using building facilities economically, and avoiding hazardous substances where possible. However, the industry does consume a large amount of electrical power, contributing to carbon emissions and climate change. Travel is also an inherent and substantial environmental pollutant for the industry.

The purpose of this Environmental Policy is to show our commitment to minimising the environmental impact of our operations through a program of continuous improvement and awareness. The directors of George Benson Ltd recognise that all corporate activities have some effect on the environment. Therefore, the company has established and will maintain this Environmental Policy and a suitable management system to meet the specifics of our working procedures and products.

The role of Environmental Officer is undertaken by:

William Lapslie – Managing Director
David Neller – Quality & H&S Manager

Tasks are delegated to competent persons within the company structure to involve all staff in the importance of good environmental management. All staff, both in-house and outsourced, will be made aware of company procedures.

The directors are committed to a program that progressively reduces waste and the use of energy, alongside a more efficient use of natural resources. We will assess the current environmental impact of our activities and, from there, set and review annual targets to ensure our environmental objectives are reasonably sustained.

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT COMMITMENT

George Benson Ltd is committed to maintaining management systems that contribute to the protection of the environment. The directors undertake to:

Implement a structured management system to prevent, eliminate, or reduce pollution, emissions, and waste.
Encourage environmental responsibility among all employees and associates.
Comply with all relevant statutes, codes of practice, and international standards, including The Environmental Protection Act 1990, The Hazardous Waste Regulations 2005, and ISO 14001.
Assess the impact of our activities on the local environment and establish necessary control mechanisms.
Implement measures to prevent accidental emissions of materials or energy.
Establish and apply monitoring procedures to maintain compliance with this policy.
Co-operate with enforcing authorities to ensure compliance and minimise the impact of any accidental discharges.
Provide information and advice to customers to demonstrate our commitment and understand their concerns.
Provide details of the usage, disposal, and review of products used by the company.
Monitor and reduce the consumption of energy, water, and materials.
Implement, maintain, and review recycling schemes.
Ensure all staff are suitably trained to carry forward these objectives.
Continuously improve our environmental performance by using the most economically viable application of the best available technology.

OBJECTIVES

Our ongoing environmental objectives are:

To maintain an environmental policy that is appropriate to our company.
To identify the environmental aspects of our past, existing, and planned activities to determine our most significant impacts.
To identify and comply with all relevant legislative, regulatory, and corporate requirements.
To set appropriate environmental objectives and targets.
To establish a program to implement the policy, achieve our objectives, and prevent pollution.
To facilitate planning, control, monitoring, and review activities to ensure the policy remains appropriate and is complied with.
To reduce energy usage and encourage the efficient use of utilities.
To introduce annual reduction targets.
To use products that are safe, have a long life span, and can be reused, recycled, or disposed of safely.
To monitor our suppliers to ensure they have suitable environmental systems in place, requesting information on ISO 14001 certification where applicable.
To reuse waste wherever possible and segregate it appropriately.
To improve the efficiency of our operations to minimise physical impacts on the environment.
To review transportation to use environmentally friendly vehicles and economical routes.
To educate and train staff to operate in an environmentally responsible manner.

PROGRAM

Our environmental program involves:

Planning: Identifying and assessing our environmental impact and setting measurable objectives and targets.
Implementation and Operation: Defining roles and responsibilities and providing appropriate training.
Checking and Corrective Action: Monitoring performance and making necessary adjustments to maintain compliant controls.
Management Review: Senior management are committed to reviewing procedures, maintaining effective policies, and complying with new and revised legislation.
Improvement: Creating staff awareness and consulting with all levels of staff to sustain a program of continuous improvement.

SPECIFIC ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES AND OBJECTIVES

Energy Consumption in Buildings We have a policy of monitoring energy consumption in our workplaces wherever practicable. At our Head Office, located in a multi-let building, we will encourage the landlord to adopt energy conservation policies. We will monitor the following:

Water Supply: We minimise water usage by ensuring taps are not left running and kettles are only filled with the required amount of water.
Electricity: We restrict electricity use to occupational periods. Staff are encouraged to turn off all appliances when not in use. Our engineers use battery-powered tools wherever possible.
Computers: We have phased out cathode ray tube monitors and replaced them with LCD screens.

Recycling George Benson Ltd is committed to the principle of recycling all products.

Office Wastepaper: We promote an office paper recycling scheme, with containers distributed throughout our Head Office.
Workplace Equipment: We aim to purchase equipment from environmentally friendly suppliers and require them to demonstrate their compliance with environmental legislation. We are committed to ensuring all our partners observe best practices for environmental protection.

Waste Disposal Waste is separated into various categories and disposed of in suitable containers by approved and licensed contractors who are registered for hazardous waste disposal. We have consulted on waste separation to ensure our policy is environmentally friendly and compliant with regulations, issuing Transfer Notes as required under The Environmental Protection Act 1990.

Transport Policy Where necessary, the company supplies leased vehicles to outsourced staff. Our purchasing policy ensures that, as far as is reasonably practicable, all vehicles have low capacity and low emissions. This policy is reviewed regularly.