Environmental Policy

This policy statement sets out the environmental commitments for Office Green Limited (‘the Company’) and is consistent with our corporate policy.

Our activities are designed to reduce our harmful impact on the environment and everyone working for the Company, or on the Company's behalf, is asked to support this statement.

This policy statement updates and replaces all previous statements. It will be reviewed regularly by a Director, who will take advice from suitably qualified persons, and from those whom this policy may affect. If necessary, a revised version of the policy will be issued to reflect the latest developments. This policy and any developments will be communicated in an appropriate and effective way.

  1. Introduction

    We recognise that organisations of all kinds are, increasingly, determined to achieve and demonstrate sound environmental performance by controlling the impact on the environment by their activities, products and services. This is in the context of growing environmental awareness, increasingly stringent legislation and other factors promoting environmental protection and best practice.

    We are concerned about the environment and recognise that good environmental management must be an integral and fundamental part of our corporate business strategy. Helping to save the environment is not only our future, but also our business and our commitment to this challenge is total.

    Every year over 500 million empty toner and inkjet cartridges (“empties”) go to landfill. Our aim is to help reduce this figure so as to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations, enabling Office Green to be part of the solution, not part of the problem.

    The majority of all empty toner and inkjet cartridges collected by Office Green are sold back into the market to companies that will remanufacture them, who will in turn, once processed, then sell them to the dealer or end consumer as a remanufactured, recycled or compatible cartridge. The points below help to explain what we do with those items that cannot go through this channel i.e. packaging and damaged products.

    • All cardboard packaging (boxes, end-caps etc) is sent to local paper mills for recycling.
    • Some reject or valueless empties are returned to the OEM for recycling in accordance with their policies and legislative obligations.
    • Damaged empties that have value are sold or given to remanufacturers to be used for spare parts.
    • Damaged empties that have no value are sent to facilities for raw material recycling i.e. broken down into plastic, aluminium and steel.
    • Damaged or odd sized pallets are sent for re-use or recycling.
    • Polystyrene packaging is sent to specialised recyclers
    • Plastic cartridge bags are sent for plastics recycling

  2. Scope of Policy Statement

    This statement covers all buildings, goods and services used and provided by the Company and everyone working for us. It concerns the immediate impacts of our activities and policies.

    The policy excludes the indirect impact of our goods and services that we cannot control or influence and also our suppliers’ impact that we are unable to influence.

  3. Environmental Commitments

    In the course of our operations, and within resource constraints, we will improve our environmental performance by:

    1. Resources

      a. conserving energy, water, wood, paper and other resources, particularly those which are scarce or non-renewable, while still providing a safe and comfortable working environment;

      b. reducing waste through re-use and recycling and by using refurbished and recycled products and materials where such alternatives are economical and suitable; and

      c. ensuring that any products used or derived from wildlife, such as timber and plants, are from sustainable sources and comply with European Union and international trade rules such as CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species).

    2. Pollution

      a. monitoring relevant discharges and emissions to air, land and water to ascertain what action is necessary to reduce pollution or the risk of pollution; and

      b. phasing out, where practical, ozone depleting substances and minimising the release of greenhouse gases, volatile organic compounds, vehicle emissions and other substances damaging to health and the environment.

    3. Management - Regulations

      a. aiming to meet, and in some cases exceeding, all relevant, current and foreseen statutory regulations (including the Environmental Information Regulations), codes of practice and other requirements that we adopt;

      b. specifying that contractors comply with the same when working on our premises; and

      c. developing and maintaining emergency procedures for effectively dealing with significant hazards where they exist and limiting the risk to health and the environment.

    4. Management - Communication

      a. communicating openly with staff and others, educating, training and motivating our colleagues, and other relevant persons and organisations to encourage them to support our environmental objectives; and

      b. responding appropriately to reasonable external requests for environment information.

    5. Management - Purchasing

      Whether any goods or services are environmentally preferable will be an important factor when any purchasing decision is made.

    6. Management - Estates

      Ensuring, where practicable, either through our own actions or by negotiation with any landlord, that buildings occupied by us are designed, constructed and operated to optimise their environmental performance.

    7. Management - Environment

      a. demonstrating that, where relevant, environmental issues are considered when making decisions, planning and developing policy, programmes and projects; and

      b. monitoring progress against the environmental aim and other indicators.

  4. Objectives and Targets

    We shall set annual environment improvement objectives and targets which are regularly monitored and reviewed.

    We shall train and encourage our staff to implement our environmental policy. Our current targets are set out in Appendix 1 ‘Our environmental policy at work’. These objectives and targets shall be publicised throughout our organisation and all staff committed to their achievement.

  5. Publication

    This policy and the obligations and responsibilities required by any environmental management system implemented by us have been or will be communicated to all employees.