Sandwell Homes takes a 'hands-on' approach to reducing its carbon footprint

Business managers at Sandwell Homes have this month pledged to reduce the company’s carbon footprint, starting with a contract to power the business on green electricity.

The first of what will be a series of environmentally friendly measures to be implemented by Sandwell Homes ensures that electricity used to manage office accommodation and communal work spaces derives from renewable and low carbon sources courtesy of energy provider ‘Opus Energy’.

An environmental steering group will also look to reduce the amount of waste produced by the company whilst also increasing the amount of waste that is recycled in the process, improve the environmental performance of purchased goods, and reduce CO2 emissions from its fleet of vans and trucks used to provide day-to-day services.

In taking its environmental policy a step further, Sandwell Homes will also explore ways of improving bio-diversity in the borough.

With global warming now high on the Government agenda Sandwell Homes – responsible for managing 30,000 council properties on behalf of Sandwell MBC – wanted to take a proactive approach in becoming more environmentally responsible.

Sandwell Homes’ environmental manager, Tony Thompson, said:

“With the help of experts in this field and a dedicated steering group we have drawn up an action plan that will hopefully see Sandwell Homes reduce its carbon footprint substantially.”

Members of the steering group signed up to the challenge in unusual fashion by getting their hands green and marking a symbolic giant footprint at the start of the group’s first meeting.

Tony added: “The handprint idea was a bit of fun but serves to illustrate the more serious point behind these meetings, which is to make the company more environmentally friendly. In reviewing our procurement methods and the way the fleet is used we also hope to make savings on behalf of the taxpayer in the long-term.”