Corporate Social Responsibility - Environmental

Alumet maintains a pro-active approach to sustainability and strives to do whatever possible to reduce the company's carbon footprint.

Accreditation

Alumet's commitment to the environment has been benchmarked with ISO 14001 accreditation. To couple this, we aim to use as many suppliers as possible who are ISO 14001 certified.

Waste & Recycling

We recycle as many materials as possible from the office, factory and on site, including paper, card, wood, glass, plastic and metal. We have recently developed our recycling schemes to include specialist items such as rubber and polypropylene. We compost our green waste in our company garden.

We have committed to the WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme) campaign to achieve zero waste to landfill by 2014.

Sourcing

Our Purchasing Policies ensure that our suppliers meet the following criteria:

• Glass, Steel, & Aluminium must demonstrate high recycled content
• Timber, paper and card must be FSC certified
• Minimal packaging must be used for delivery
• Materials must not purchased from countries under oppressive regimes
• Local suppliers must be chosen whenever possible.

Efficiency

Between 2009 and 2011 we have achieved the following improvements in efficiency:

• Lighting - 55% reduction in electrical lighting requirements for our factory as roof lights have been installed.
• Heating - 50% reduction in heating requirements for our factory as additional insulation has been installed along with a highly efficient heating system.
• Electricity - 50% reduction in electricity requirements for our Training Centre as solar panels have been installed.
• Air-conditioning - 20% reduction in air conditioning requirements as solar shading has been installed.
• Commuting - 7% reduction in cars used to commute to work as a Cycle to Work scheme has been introduced.

Cycle to Work

To reduce carbon emissions a "Cycle to Work" scheme has been introduced whereby the company contributes towards bicycles for members of staff who wish to cycle to the office. We have also installed a secure bike shelter and shower facilities.

Staying local

A company apartment is available near Alumet's main facilities providing a home-from-home for visiting contracts managers and site based staff.

Increased Biodiversity

In order to increase the biodiversity of our local area we have transformed an area of wasteland at our headquarters into a wildlife garden. The Alumet 'Green Vision' Garden was officially opened in 2010 by TV botanist Dr David Bellamy OBE. The garden has been developed as a haven for wildlife and features a variety of plants as well as a pond, insect stack, butterfly box and various bat, bird and bumble bee boxes. The garden also has a seating area and provides the ideal place for staff to relax together during break times.

Awards

Our environmental standards have been benchmarked with the following industry accolades:

• CBI (Confederation of British Industry) Awards - Green Strategy 2011
• Green Apple Award - Environmental Excellence 2011
• Midlands Excellence Awards - Sustainability 2011
• EEF Future Manufacturing Awards Regional Winner - Environmental Efficiency 2010
• EEF Future Manufacturing Award Regional Winner - Climate Change Opportunity 2010
• Builder & Engineer Awards - Corporate Social Responsibility 2010
• Chamber of Commerce Regional Awards - Green Business 2010

Environmental Policy

Please click to view our Environmental Policy and Sustainability Report.
More policies and reports available in the Downloads area.