Environmental Management Policy

We are committed to reducing the impact of our business and work to continually improve our environmental performance is an integral part of our business strategy and operating methods. We encourage customers, suppliers and other stakeholders to do the same.

In order to sustain this objective, our operational activities are performed in accordance with the International Quality Management System BS EN ISO 9001:2015. This enables us to integrate all our business initiatives and environmental policies within one auditable control system, thereby providing a structured and effective response to the increasing environmental and ecological challenges we face.

Responsibility

Our directors are responsible for ensuring that this Policy is implemented, however, all employees have a responsibility in their area to ensure that the aims and objectives of this policy are met.

Policy Aims, Monitoring and Improvement

We will endeavour to:

• comply with all relevant regulatory requirements.
• continually improve and monitor environmental performance.
• continually improve and reduce environmental impacts.
• incorporate environmental factors into business decisions.
• increase employee awareness and training.
• review this Policy and any related business issues at Senior Management Team meetings.

In support of this, the following are a selection of the areas of legislation we monitor:

• The Environmental Protection Act 1990
• The Control of Pollution Act 1974
• The Health & Safety at Work Act 1974
• Civil Law & Current European Directives
• Management Of Health & Safety at Work Regulations 2002
• Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992
• Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992
• Health And Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1996
• Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 (as amended) (MHOR)
• Provision And Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998
• Control Of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 1999
• Health And Safety (Consultation with Employees) Regulations 2004
• Health And Safety (Information for Employees) Regulations 1989
• Electricity At Work (Standards of Performance) Regulations 2005
• The Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005
• The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005

Energy & Water Usage

We:

• reduce the amount of energy used in our office and warehouse – all onsite lighting is energy efficient LED illumination.
• switch off lights and electrical equipment when not in use – our canteen and toilet areas use motion sensitive lighting throughout.
• adjust heating with energy consumption in mind.
• are continuously evaluating production techniques and energy saving with our manufacturing facilities. 
• strive to reduce the impact of our ‘carbon footprint’ by minimising transportation costs through our locality to port, effective distribution networks and our fleet of ‘electric only’ vehicles and warehouse plant.

Waste Removal & Effluent Discharge

Part 2 of the ‘Environmental Protection Act’ places an obligation on observance of the duty of care requirements of the Act. The removal, transportation and disposal of such waste is carefully taken into account during the planning stages of present and future business demands. 

Transportation

We make additional efforts to accommodate the needs of those using public transport or bicycles and offer EV Charging facilities on site for staff and visitors.

Office, Cleaning & Other Suppliers

We:

• favour more environmentally friendly and efficient products wherever possible.
• reduce packaging as much as possible.
• re-use and recycle everything we are able to.
• minimise the use of paper in the office.
• seek to buy recycled and recyclable paper products.
• use cleaning materials that are as environmentally friendly as possible.
• only use licensed and appropriate organisations to dispose of waste.
• We actively encourage and support our own supplier base in following similar policies, and this is a key aspect of our supplier selection process.

Production & Our Products

We only work with manufacturing partners who demonstrate excellent environment controls and are aligned with Barber Healthcare’s environmental policies.

Our product packaging is printed on 100% recycled material and is 100% recyclable.

Culture

We:

• update this policy at least once annually in consultation with staff where necessary.
• provide staff with relevant environmental training.
• work with suppliers, contractors and subcontractors to improve their environmental performance wherever possible.
• use local labour and materials where available to reduce CO₂ and our ‘carbon footprint’.