SUSTAINABILITY
TG Lynes
TARGETING
NET ZERO
Heating, plumbing and air conditioning specialist TG Lynes is taking a multi-pronged approach to reach its goal of net zero.
F
rom renewable energy to electric vehicles, conscientious waste disposal to recycled workwear, TG Lynes is making sure it is doing all it can to be a
responsible and sustainable business. “There is no silver bullet when it comes to environmental responsibility,” saysTG Lynes managing drector Martin Hastings. “It’s important to look at every aspect of the business and make changes to reduce our carbon footprint and improve our sustainability.
“There are things we can do which make a very large impact, but the small changes are important too as they all combine to make a big difference.”
Perhaps the most significant investment made by the company in recent years was to install a high-performing solar PV system on the roof of its Enfield base along with energy- efficient LED lighting throughout its business operations. In the first year of operation, these systems have reduced the business’ annual carbon emissions by 30 tonnes. The solar PV system is currently providing more than 50% of the energy required for the business. Energy produced, saved and exported is monitored and recorded.
Some of the excess energy produced by the solar panels is used to power TG Lynes’ company car fleet, which is becoming increasingly electric.
A huge 95% of the company vehicle fleet is now either fully electric or hybrid and since 2021 only EV or PHEV vehicles have been available for employees to order. Furthermore, this year TG Lynes began the process of moving to hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO)
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fuel instead of diesel in its delivery vehicles with an HVO tank being installed on-site imminently.
HVO is a paraffinic bio-based liquid fuel originating from many kinds of vegetable oils. HVO vehicles create around 195kg of greenhouse gas CO2 for every 1,000 litres burned, compared to 3.6 tonnes of GHG CO2 for every 1,000 litres of diesel burned. HVO is often considered the midway point between diesel and fully electric. As electric commercial vehicles start to appear on the market, TG Lynes is committed to making the transition and is currently awaiting delivery of its first 7.5T EV truck and electric van. Hastings says: “Clearly, delivery will always be a core activity of our business and that comes with a carbon burden. We are determined to ensure our delivery service operates as responsibly as possible. “Electric commercial vehicles have been playing catch-up with passenger cars, but they are starting to become more common. We are really looking forward to taking ownership of our first electrical commercial vehicle and monitoring how it performs in the real world.”
For the electricity which still needs to be bought into the business, TG Lynes ensures every kilowatt comes from 100% certified renewable sources.
Waste management will form an integral part of any business’ sustainability programme. Figures show TG Lynes recycled 46 tonnes in 2021 – 87% of all material generated by the business.
That figure included 19 tonnes of recycled wood and 21 tonnes of cardboard. TG Lynes also recycled six tonnes of general waste, while seven tonnes was incinerated to generate power for the grid. No material was sent to landfill.
Hastings, adds: “Recycling remains a central pillar of our sustainability efforts. We deal with a huge amount of material each year and have the required processes in place to sure the vast bulk is used again in the circular economy. “We’re always looking for new and innovative ways to increase our recycling and recently purchased a cardboard compactor for our site to compress materials.” TG Lynes is increasingly taking steps to ensure suppliers are also behaving in line with its own sustainability principles. Every supplier is required to complete the updated ESG questionnaire, which majors on responsible sourcing and supply chain integrity. All of this work contributes towards TG Lynes being accredited to the IS0 14001 standard, which provides assurances to management and employees, as well as external stakeholders, that environmental impact is being measured and considered in all key decisions.
Other effective environmental initiatives include recycling used workwear and replacing it with hi-vis workwear made from 100% recycled plastic. All plastic wrap and bags used by the business are made from recycled plastic. TG Lynes also presented all employees with reusable Ocean bottles. n
A supplement to builders merchants journal November 2022
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