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GreenSquare wins Green Office Award
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GreenSquare has won a top award at the 2010 Corporate Green Awards, run by Wiltshire Wildlife Trust to reward businesses in Wiltshire and Swindon that are making serious efforts to minimise their impact on the environment.
A GreenSquare delegation, headed by Tom Pritchard, was at the award ceremony on Friday 8 October to pick up the 'Green Office Award'.
Our Barbury House office in Swindon was selected as a winner for so many reasons. Second-hand furniture and fittings were purchased wherever possible, increasing re-cycling and reducing embodied carbon. All reference books, publications, and toys for the customer play area were sourced second hand via charity shops and Amazon. The building is powered by green electricity. PIR is installed throughout, and, wherever possible, low energy bulbs are fitted. Waste production is reduced by removing individuals' bins, and communual bins enable paper, plastics, cans, cardboard, and glass to be recycled. Food waste is managed on-site using a green cone with collection points at each tea base. Toner cartridges are re-cycled via the Group scheme. Local provider Ecoclean (whose staff walk to the office) gained the cleaning contract. Ecoclean is committed to protecting the environment through sustainable purchasing, protection of the natural environment, and partnering with organisations that share their values.
The building has a shower and cycle storage to encourage reduction in work mileage by car. Staff travelling for work by bike are paid a mileage rate, and staff who car share are similarly incentivised. The building was chosen partly for its proximity to public transport and flexible working allows staff to choose bus times that suit them. Business travel has been reduced by the introduction of video conferencing between other Group offices.
In terms of financial benefits: the use of second-hand furniture, and the minimal building modifications saved around £146, 000. The video conferencing is on target to save 30,000 business miles and £26,000 per year. The equipment costs for depreciation and maintenance are £10,700 per year, therefore the net cost saved is £17, 000. The mileage saved is equivalent to 8.6 tonnes of CO2 per year. The food digests are estimated to save the equivalent of around two homes per year of landfill waste.
"We are delighted that GreenSquare is a winner in the 2010 Corporate Green Awards and pleased that our offices at Barbury House have been picked out for special attention," said David Ashmore, Group chief executive.
"These awards recognise local businesses that are making serious efforts to minimise their impact on the environment and we are proud of how much we did to achieve exactly that when opening our Swindon headquarters last year.
"Sustainability runs through all that we do at GreenSquare, whether that is through the development of our business and the quality of new homes; supporting the communities in which we work; or monitoring our impact on the world in which we all live."
The evening was hosted by Dick Strawbridge - famed for his green credentials and second placing in Celebrity Master Chef. Dick praised the quality of this year's entries. Once the formalities were over, Dick was happy to mingle with the guests at the award dinner.
Wiltshire Wildlife Trust is unique in being the only organisation concerned with all aspects of the environment in Wiltshire and Swindon. With 18,500 members, it is one of the most successful nature conservation charities and one of the largest sustainability charities in the UK.
[published online 11/10/10]
