Introduction
Protecting the environment is an issue very close to Empower’s hearts and an important part of the way we do business at Empower.
This policy sets out Empower’s commitment as a business to ensure our practices are, as far as possible, environmentally friendly.
Our commitment
Empower is committed to:
- Complying with all relevant environmental legislation, regulations and approved codes of practice.
- Protecting the environment by striving to prevent and minimise our contribution to pollution of land, air, and water.
- Seeking to keep wastage to a minimum and maximise the efficient use of materials and resources.
- Managing and disposing of all waste in a responsible manner.
- Providing training for our employees so that we all work in accordance with this policy and within an environmentally aware culture.
- Developing our management processes to ensure that environmental factors are considered during planning and implementation.
- Monitoring and continuously improving our environmental performance.
- Purchasing stationary from environmentally friendly suppliers.
- Using low-carbon travel and flying only when really necessary
- Plant-based catering
List of environmentally-preferred vendors
- Energy supply (gas and electricity):
- Bulb
- Ecotricity
- Good Energy
- Octopus Energy
- Office supplies, notebooks and stationery
- The Green Office
- Woodblock
- Ethical Market
Working at home
When working from home, we obviously have no control over your environment but recommend the following to minimise your environmental impact and energy bills.
- Switch off electronic devices when not in use
- Sort your waste in line with your local waste collection scheme to ensure that all recyclables are recycled
- Switch to a renewable energy supplier. There are many suppliers including Bulb, Ecotricity, Good Energy and Octopus Energy so find the one that is right for you and ask for advice.
- Implement quick wins to reduce your home energy consumption. The biggest quick win is to reduce heating by minimizing drafts, using the thermostat effectively, wearing warmer clothes and only heating the rooms that you are actually using. Additional energy saving advice can be found in this guide from the Energy Saving Trust – https://energysavingtrust.org.uk/home-energy-efficiency/energy-saving-quick-wins
- Please ask for advice specific to your situation as there is a wealth of knowledge in the team.
- In the event that you need to dispose of electronic waste, it is essential that this is handled responsibly. Under no circumstances should electronic waste be thrown into municipal waste streams or left to rot in a drawer. See notes on electronic waste below.
Electronic waste (e-waste)
Every year, millions of tonnes of electronic waste are disposed of globally. This is an environmental disaster and also presents data privacy risks too. It is essential that we manage electronic waste responsibly as follows:
- Any faulty or unused electronic items (including batteries) must be notified to the line manager or a director within 5 working days
- These items should be given to your line Manager or a Director in person, or shipped via a courier that accepts electronic devices, and packaged safely.
- Your line manager or directors will assess whether the item can be repaired, and if so will organise repair from one of our authorised partners. If repair is not possible, it will be sent for recycling with one of our authorised partners who will ensure that data is erased and that devices are recycled.
- For unused items that are working, these will either be stored for use by other team members, or reconditioned and sold by an authorised partner, ensuring that all data is wiped.
Never throw electronic waste in the bin. If in doubt, ask.
