Sustainability and the Environment at Mike Wye & Associates
Given the nuances and ambiguity that surround the term ‘sustainability’ we believe transparency of business practice is paramount to empower the consumer with the knowledge to make well-grounded decisions.
We have gone to all necessary lengths to separate and reduce our waste streams. Examples of this are the use of shredded office paper in the packaging of our out going parcels, and the recycling of all of our waste wood to make fuel pellets. Our waste and recycling is handled by SWM Recycling who strive for a ‘zero waste to landfill’ policy.
Of course, conducting construction and restoration work inevitably produces waste. We have a responsibility to deal with this conscientiously – particularly in the processes of removing incorrectly applied synthetic materials. Interestingly, many of the products that we use to replace these often inappropriate materials will, at the end of their life, break down naturally or lend themselves to another purpose.
Energy and resource consumption is one of the greatest challenges facing businesses in the pursuit of sustainability.
At our rural Devon site we are able to harness available resources by drawing water from our borehole. This is used in the manufacture of our lime putty, and we reuse clean waste water from our site back into this process.
We encourage employee car share and will adjust shift patterns to allow this to happen. We have also run a cycle to work scheme for those close enough to benefit. Our new Design Centre has been installed with a charge point for electric cars which we make available to staff and visitors for free (a charge without charge!).
We strive to produce and supply the best products whilst minimising environmental harm, for example resource reuse and shipping.
Some examples are:
- GEOCELL Foam Glass which is produced from recycled waste glass,
- Cork insulation products which are derived from renewable cork forests,
- Sheep’s wool insulation is sustainably and ethically harvested from British sheep.
We ship products throughout the UK and across the world. Therefore we ensure intelligently orchestrated logistics with our own delivery vehicles, couriers and freight handlers. This helps to maximise space per load and reduce the miles each consignment is transported.
Mike Wye are proud supporters of the Devon Environmental Business Initiative (DEBI). Our General Manager, Ryan Stojic, is on the Board of Directors.
Running your business, school or social enterprise while trying to put the environment at the heart of what you do can be tough. It’s about constant innovation and keeping up-to-date with the latest legislation, products and local and national targets – while still maximising your efficiency and profits.
Support
DEBI is here to help. The not-for-profit organisation was set up in the early 1990’s with the aim of making life easier for environmentally pioneering companies and individuals in the South West. We are all about sharing ideas and expertise – our members have access to
information and advice covering a huge variety of eco issues, from biomass options to waste management and sustainability in manufacturing.
Inspire
Sometimes being up close and personal is the best way to learn. Regular DEBI events and visits, everything from a trip to an award-winning eco B&B through to a flood forecasting talk by The Environment Agency, give you access to experts in many different fields. And they are
free to members.
Reward
We all need to feel appreciated. The DEBI Annual Awards held each November are a chance to say well done to those working hard at making Devon a centre of environmental excellence.
The Awards are free to enter and the evening is hosted by our longstanding partner, the Met Office, at its innovative and inspiring headquarters in Exeter.
Helping to build a better, greener future in and around Devon
0845 2573324 info@debi-online
Part of an international movement, the Building Biology Association UK, or BBA, is an independent and non-profit organisation. There purpose is to promote the awareness, understanding, design, construction and use of healthy buildings.
The BBA is a Partner Institute of the The Institute of Building Biology + Sustainability, or IBN (Institut für Baubiologie + Nachhaltigkeit). The IBN was founded in Germany in 1983 with the mission to offer a holistic approach to Building Biology.
Buildings today often contain inherent chemical, physiological and biological risks as a result of materials and processes employed by the construction industry in a drive to minimise costs and build times. The UK currently falls behind European and International standards of best practice concerning the use of many materials.
To be healthy we not only need wholesome food and adequate exercise – we must also have a healthy environment. Buildings, where they are, how they are designed and what they are made of, affect our health.
Andy Banister of Mike Wye & Associates is among the very first to study as a Building Biologist in the UK.
The direct association between Building Biology and the healthy, sympathetic materials and systems we supply will assist us in offering practical, sound advice on the specification of our products and support what we already preach with scientific research and evidence.
Mike Wye and Associates Ltd. is a company whose very existence is based on a sustainable philosophy.
The company aims to encourage people to protect not only their investment in a property, but also more broadly the country’s architectural heritage and skills that it represents. We aim to promote the use of natural and sustainable materials that offer many benefits over modern alternatives.
The company recognises that its activities can potentially have an impact on the environment. This policy is intended to outline our environmental responsibilities and strategies for minimising this impact.
Mike Wye and Associates objectives are as follows:
- Comply with all relevant environmental laws and legislation.
- Educate and train employees to understand their roles and responsibilities as laid out in the environmental policy in order to achieve a high standard of environmental performance.
- Set clear environmental objectives relevant to the nature and scale of our operations.
- Identify targets, testing and review procedures by which the environmental policy performance can be tested and reviewed.
- Identify and assess waste production, and re-use or recycle waste where appropriate and feasible.
- Reduce the consumption of energy by sensible energy management of buildings, equipment and vehicles.
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM: Roles and Responsibilities
The Company Directors have overall responsibility for ensuring that the objectives of the Environmental Policy are achieved and for maintaining an effective Environmental Management System.
Specifically the company directors will ensure that:
- adequate arrangements are in place to effectively implement and maintain the Environmental Management System.
- procedures are monitored and results reported.
- corrective action is taken to remedy any deficiencies that arise in the Environmental Management plan.
- the Environmental policy is up to date and ensure continued improvement.
- they appoint or nominate a manager with specific responsibility for Environmental Management.
The person with the responsibility for Environmental management is responsible for providing advice to the company directors on current legislation and implementation of procedures to achieve compliance with any relevant environmental legislation.
Specifically, the Environmental manager will ensure that:
- an Environmental Management System is established, implemented and maintained.
- good practice procedures are implemented.
- environmental legislative requirements that are applicable to the company’s activities or products are identified.
- any additional company activities that are not governed by environmental legislation but may attribute to the company’s environmental impact in a negative manner are identified.
- they establish and maintain procedures to identify training requirements for all employees to ensure their awareness of the company’s environmental goals and the cooperation of all employees in working to achieve any environmental targets.
- they identify any areas within the operation of the company which can be improved to lessen our environmental impact.
Line managers/supervisors are responsible for ensuring arrangements detailed in the Environmental Management System are conducted. Specifically, line managers and supervisors will ensure that:
- any good practice procedures are conducted in line with the Environmental Management System and staff training.
- no member of staff conducts any activity in a manner that has a detrimental impact on the environment.
- they report any breaches of the Environmental Management System to the person responsible for environmental management or the company directors.
- they report any activity that could be viewed as being harmful to the environment.
Employees are responsible for ensuring that they conduct their working activities in a manner that is consistent with company training, does not present an environmental risk and that all company environmental guidelines are followed. In the event that an incident does occur then this should be reported without delay to their line manager/supervisor.
Training will be organised by the Environmental Manager and will consist of the following:
- Environmental awareness and incident training relevant to each company department operating at the main site address. These will focus on all environmental issues relevant to their roles.
Version number: Environmental Policy v4
Date: November 2017
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