We are working hard to minimise the impact on the environment made by the production and distribution of our products. We know there are many areas where we’re doing very well, but we’re equally determined to make further improvements in the way we operate and manage every aspect of our business.
We are in discussion with the 'Carbon Trust' to look at ways of further reducing our carbon footprint and are constantly working closely with our suppliers to minimise our carbon impact. We have worked hard to reduce the amount of packaging and ensure that as many of the quality components we use are sourced locally. Further to this, we try to ensure wherever possible that these components are made from recycled material, that they are easily recyclable and from a sustainable source.
Our aim for 2010 is to become a 'zero to landfill' organisation.
It is currently very difficult to guarantee the availablility of recycled PET to use in the manufacture of our PET bottles. For this reason we currently use virgin PET material, however, we believe that recycled PET will become more widely available over the coming years and once we can guarantee a source we will switch to using this material.
PLA (polylactide or 'corn starch') is being used by some manufacturers, but there are flaws in using this material, namely, its technical performance, compostability and the environmental implications of using corn. It is also important to understand that PLA cannot be recycled with other bottles and this only confuses and frustrates the recycling of plastic.
Working closely with our bottle manufacturer we have been able to significantly reduce the amount of plastic which we use each year by redesigning some of our bottles. We will save over 180 tonnes of PET material this year.
As an example, the 500ml Harrogate Spring Water bottle weighs just 17.5g which compares favourably with the government’s optimum weight for a soft drinks container of 20g as recommended by waste watchdog, the Waste and Resources Management Programme (WRAP).
Finally, all our plastic bottles are recyclable.
We purchase only the best quality components for our water, however we also purchase as much of our raw materials and components as locally as possible. When you pick up a bottle of Harrogate Spring Water, everything you see – the water, the bottle, the label, the cap is all sourced within an average distance of 70 miles from our bottling plant in Harrogate.
We rarely have empty vehicles entering or leaving our bottling plant. Over 90% of our vehicles arrive carrying raw material components and leave with finished product for our customers. We have estimated that, by doing this, we have reduced our vehicle activity by around 35% in the past two years. By using local suppliers and choosing local hauliers we have significantly reduced vehicle activity - we continue to monitor this.
All of our production waste is recycled. We bale various formats of waste for collection by our recycling partner. Further to this, we have a number of on-site initiatives which have significantly reduced our waste. We encourage everybody in the business to consider the opportunities of recycling and all of our waste bins, whether in the office or canteen are sent for recycling purposes.
If you have a great idea or any further useful suggestions we're always delighted to hear from you.
