The Flexpress Environmental Policy

Introduction and strategy

Flexpress is a private limited company based in Leicestershire at Coal Cart Road, Birstall.

Our main activity is the production of printed materials primarily for other graphics professionals. To achieve this, we use a variety of different materials, digital and lithographic printing processes and finishing operations.

We recognise that our operations have the potential to negatively impact on our environment so our aim is to minimise this as much as possible. We will continue to work to reduce the environmental impacts of our business and operate in an environmentally responsible manner.

The key points of the Company’s strategy to achieve this are:

• Integrating the consideration of environmental concerns and impacts into all our decision making and activities.
• Promoting environmental awareness among our employees and encourage them to work in an environmentally responsible manner.
• Meeting or exceeding all environmental legislation that applies to our Company. In particular to use, handle, transport, store and dispose of potentially environmentally damaging materials within the appropriate legislation and codes of practice.
• Minimising waste by evaluating operations to ensure they are as efficient as possible.
• Encouraging efficient use of materials and resources through our facility including water, electricity, raw materials and other resources, particularly those that are non-renewable.
• Promoting the recycling of our materials wherever possible; this includes waste paper, aluminium printing plates and plastics.
• Using environmentally accredited materials whenever and wherever possible.
• Avoiding unnecessary use of hazardous materials and products, seeking substitutions where feasible, and taking all reasonable steps to protect human health and the environment when such materials have to be used, stored and disposed of.
• Striving to continually improve our environmental performance.

Responsibility

This environmental policy applies to all our operations. Steve Wenlock, Managing Director is responsible for ensuring this policy is implemented. However all employees have a responsibility in their area to ensure that the aims and objectives of the policy are met.

2020 to date

As a result of Coronavirus, our investment in environmental initiatives has had to be scaled back a little. Nevertheless we have continued to improve our environmental performance:

• Reduced our electricity consumption in comparison to turnover by 8%.
• Changed one of our vehicles for an all-electric model.
• Replaced a further 5% of of our lighting with LED alternatives
• Installed motion activated lighting in washrooms, kitchen and corridors
• Switched to a starch based void fill for packaging

Targets

To continue to achieve our aims we have set the following targets for 2019 and 2020:

• To move 21,000 more Kwh per annum of electricity to renewable sources (and investigate the possibility of Solar PV panels to achieve this).
• To install energy efficient LED lighting throughout the business
• To reduce materials wastage by at least 1%
• To reduce the number of vehicles we operate by 2
• To inform all our customers and suppliers of our commitment to reducing our environmental impact by 30^th June 2021

Resources

We will ensure that necessary resources are available to enable us to achieve our targets.

Monitoring and auditing

Progress against these targets will be monitored at monthly management meetings.

Communication

This Environmental Policy is publicly available on the company website www.flexpress.co.uk/the-flexpress-environmental-policy