SUSTAINABILITY


Waste is a fundamental aspect for many sectors and I believe that we can all help to lead the way towards meeting tough Government energy, recycling and landfill targets, dramatically reducing the UK’s carbon footprint.


I believe all industries now have a duty to play its part in the return of a self-sufficient community, with recycling led by prominent and engaging local figures.


Without sounding like the quintessential broken record, recent years have been frighteningly damaging to businesses all over the country, and when you couple that with significantly raised Government legislated targets, it’s vital that we look for new and bold ideas for a sustainable future, or risk failure.


At present, our economy is still largely linear, in that we dig things out of the ground, turn them into products that last from minutes to a few years, and then put them back into the ground as landfill. This obviously wastes resources and money while inherently harming the environment through both extraction and disposal.


“WE DIG THINGS OUT OF THE GROUND, TURN THEM INTO


PRODUCTS AND THEN PUT THEM BACK INTO THE GROUND.”


So how do we avoid the environmental impact but reduce our exposure to volatile and rising prices, and capture the valuable materials that we currently pay to dispose of?


The solution is a circular economy – one that captures materials so that today’s stock is remanufactured or reused to become tomorrow’s stock, rather than landfill. The key to this is to understand how circular business models can be developed in a way that keeps companies profitable. However, when this logic is applied to waste containers, the answer lies not only in the vast cost-saving


www.tomorrowsfm.com


“IT’S VITAL THAT WE LOOK FOR


NEW AND BOLD IDEAS FOR


A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE.”


potential of unlocking the capital tied up in damaged units by restoring them to full working order, but also in converting and selling them.


As a company, UK Container Maintenance is extremely passionate about tracking and examining new ways to reduce its carbon footprint and uses a reputable environmental consultancy to monitor our own output and also that of our supply chain. After all, there is a little point in championing the benefits of being an economically aware business if your channel of distribution does not echo this same belief.


All UK organisations, regardless of size, should be checking the sustainability of their supply chain in this way. The transparency of your own carbon emissions, plus any associated companies, displays your business’ economic credibility, demonstrates a commitment to further sustainability and enhances your reputation, making you a much more attractive option for potential customers and stakeholders.


By working with suppliers that offer innovative solutions that can benefit operations, whether purchasing


remanufactured / restored products or carrying out refurbishments to current stock, this not only works out cheaper (bottom line) but it also has a positive impact on the environment. As a business, we invest heavily into the research and development of our technical services, ensuring that we maximise the potential of each container. This allows us to offer the very best service to our customers and in turn, extend the longevity of their products without being sent to scrap.


I believe the key to success comes to changing attitudes across all industries and to spread the realisation that restoration and remanufacturing is far cheaper than buying new, and at the end of the day much more rewarding; not only in terms of your CSR but on a personal pride level. I am delighted to see that opinions are now drastically changing and industries are moving towards embracing their ethical responsibilities. There’s a lot more work to do but it is our prerogative to ensure waste goes to the most cost- effective place, which in this modern age could even be a new home.


www.ukcontainers.co.uk TOMORROW’S FM | 27


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