Sustainability statement

Concern for the environment and promoting a broader sustainability agenda are integral to our professional activities and the management of the organisation. We aim to maintain an effective, environmental management system and to follow and promote good sustainability practice. In addition we will strive to reduce the environmental impacts of all our activities and to help our clients and partners to do the same.

Our policy is to

To maintain BS ISO 14001 accreditation within the business
To comply with, and exceed where practicable, all applicable legislation, regulations and codes of practice.
To integrate sustainability considerations into all our business decisions.
To ensure that all staff are fully aware of our Sustainability Policy and are committed to implementing and improving it.
To minimise the impact on sustainability of all warehouse, office and transportation activities.
To make clients and suppliers aware of our Sustainability Policy, and encourage them to adopt sound sustainable management practices.
To regularly review and to continually strive to improve our sustainability performance.
As far as possible arrange for the reuse or recycling of warehouse waste, including metals, packaging, paper, computer supplies and redundant equipment
Reduce the energy consumption of all equipment by purchasing energy efficient equipment and good housekeeping.
Walk, cycle and/or use public transport to attend meetings, site visits etc, apart from in exceptional circumstances where the alternatives are impractical and / or cost prohibitive. Wholly support and comply with or exceed the requirements of current environmental legislation and codes of practice.
Minimise our waste and then reuse or recycle as much of it as possible.
Minimise energy and water usage in our buildings, vehicles and processes in order to conserve supplies, and minimise our consumption of natural resources, especially where they are non-renewable.
Operate and maintain company vehicles (where appropriate) with due regard to environmental issues as far as reasonably practical and encourage the use of alternative means of transport and car sharing as appropriate,
Apply the principles of continuous improvement in respect of air, water, noise and light pollution from our premises and reduce any impacts from our operations on the environment and local community.
As far as possible purchase products and services that do the least damage to the environment and encourage others to do the same.
Assess the environmental impact of any new processes or products we intend to introduce in advance.

We particularly recognise the importance of energy efficiency in the housing stock and the contribution this can make to affordable warmth policies, and the health of residents.

We recognise that in our day-to-day operations we inevitably impact on the environment in a number of ways and we wish to minimise the potential harmful effects of such activity wherever and whenever possible.

As an organisation we still strive to address the balance of our present needs with future sustainability. We are dedicated to developing and implementing our environmental and sustainability policy and an action plan.

Raising awareness

Pacifica Group communicates openly through various channels with all staff and other stakeholders; educating and training colleagues and relevant others to encourage and support our sustainability policy; jointly develop new ideas and initiatives.

Legislation

Pacifica Group meets, and where appropriate, exceeds the requirements of all relevant legislation and where no regulations exist, set our own exacting standards.

Waste minimisation and resources

Minimise waste in all operations and investigate alternative office procedures that are practical to implement. A hierarchy of waste management is adopted that:

Reduce – design out waste
Re-use – look for opportunities to re-use materials
Recycle – look for opportunities for others to use our waste
Recover (energy)
Dispose – policy of sorting waste before disposal

Our approach to reducing waste can be categorised in three ways:

Minimisation of packaging
Effective control of stock
Quality of workmanship and a “Right First Time” approach

We encourage waste management throughout the organisation by having simple and effective systems that promote recycling and the use of recycled materials.

Energy use

Pacifica Group investigates environmentally safe and sustainable energy sources to meet our needs and apply them where practicable. Solar Photovoltaic cells have been installed on our office sites which help to generate energy which we export to the grid. We use energy efficient lighting which helps us to reduce our electrical consumption.

Transport

We reduce our environmental impact via analysis of staff transport. We encourage the use of public and alternative means of transport such as e-mail or video/phone conferencing. Where possible we look to employ local labour therefore aiming to reduce the journey to work mileage, the use of public transport encouraged, and arrangements made for car sharing.

Although not always practicable, where possible our aspiration is to use fuel efficient vehicles thus lowering CO2 emissions.

Purchasing and procurement

We actively seek environmentally and socially responsible options when purchasing goods and services and continue to encourage our partners and suppliers to do the same.

Pacifica Group avoids, wherever possible, products that can never be replaced or goods whose production pollutes the environment. Tropical hardwood is to be avoided unless it is obtained from renewable resources. The use of hazardous wood preservatives or wood treatment with hazardous materials is prohibited.

Our aim is to phase out the use of ozone depleting substances and minimise the release of greenhouse gases, vehicle emissions and other substances damaging to health and the environment arising from our operations.

Where there is a choice of goods at similar prices Pacifica Group will select the alternative that does the least damage to the environment.

Influence

Pacifica Group influences and persuades our supply chain partners, clients, customers, other agencies, partners and contacts of the importance of sustainability, encouraging them to have a Sustainability Policy of their own with a number of initiatives. We share best practice with them where appropriate to assist.

Monitoring and evaluation

Pacifica Group will conduct continual self-evaluation of our performance in implementing these principles and regularly review the management system and policy to ensure their suitability, adequacy and effectiveness.

We will comply with and exceed all relevant regulatory requirements.

We will increase employee awareness through training.

Culture

We will involve staff in the implementation of this policy, for great commitment and improved performance.

We will provide staff with relevant environmental training.

We will work with suppliers, contractors and sub-contractors to improve their environmental performance.

We will use local labour and materials where available to reduce CO2 and help the community.

Environmental management and waste management system

There are three types of waste:

HAZARDOUS – Must be disposed of via licensed handler
NON HAZARDOUS OR CONTROLLED – waste suitable for landfill and unsuitable for recycling. Must be disposed of via a licensed waste handler and a transfer note obtained for each collection
RECYCLING – waste suitable for recycling, e.g. paper, cardboard, metal, wood. Must be sent to a licensed handlers or supplier with an exemption certificate

Sustainability initiatives

Pacifica Group has a number of sustainability initiatives:

Reduce consumption of materials and natural resources in our operations, re-use rather than dispose whenever possible, and promote recycling and the use of recycled materials
Apply energy efficiency into new services, buildings and equipment and manage energy wisely in all operations
Reduce wherever practicable the level of harmful emissions to prevent pollution
Educate customers where we install energy saving equipment to ensure they are maximising the full benefit of the installation to minimise energy usage and carbon consumption
Promote energy efficiency wherever and whenever possible: promote Annual Servicing to maintain equipment
Encourage the use of only use lead free solder
To promote electronic communication techniques such as E-forms to save usage and costs of paper, ink & postage
Arrange confidential waste collection bins across all company sites
Minimise the use of disposable consumables such as Printer Cartridges
To encourage our Supply chain to consider Sustainability Initiatives and to request updated reports from them

Sustainability in action

Sustainability is at the core of our delivery within Pacifica.

Pacifica Appliance Services provides over 250,000 appliance repairs each year in customer homes. We also refurbish over 50,000 appliances each year at our specialist National Repair Centre. We carry over 100,000 spares lines in stock at all times and distribute over 15,000 spares per month to supply chain partners for their repairs. These activities help to ensure that appliances which have broken down are maintained rather than replaced. If these appliances were replaced, this would create a significant impact on the environment to dispose of the broken appliances and the disposal of the packaging that new appliances would require. Pacifica Appliance Services has a major role in reducing the need for new appliances within the UK.