Flowers24Hours.co.uk Eco-Policy
With the rise of environment consciousness, the time has come for companies to take action to lessen their impact on the world.
Flowers24Hours.co.uk (as part of Todich Floral Design Ltd) has been taking action over recent years on improving our ecological footprint. We’d now like to share some of the steps we have taken.
- Organic waste disposal through recycling and compost production
- Non-organic waste disposal through recycling
- Bio-degradable components used for products and packaging
- Recyclable cardboard boxes
- Recyclable buckets
- Paper waste recycled and re-used for packaging
- Minimal carbon footprint
- All vehicles are in mint service condition
- Shortest routes always taken
- Advanced logistics software helps cut down fuel consumption to a minimum
- Flowers and plants sourced from domestic growers
- Over-seas transportation effect minimized
- No outside of UK sourcing
- Electrical energy consumption minimized
- Low-consumption lighting used in offices, only during working hours
- Latest generation low-power computers working only during working hours
As many of you know, floristry produces significant amounts of organic residue as well as non-organic. The organic is comprised of such substances as flower and plant parts such as stems, leaves and roots. This waste is not very significant on a small scale, but with a business as large as Flowers24Hours.co.uk the amount rises significantly. Maybe the most important use is compost (enriched soil) production. Residue mixed with soil produces an enriched mix used in horticulture. Non-organic residue comes from decorative items such as bands, cellophane, packaging which mainly comes down to plastic and cellulose based materials. Recycled properly these materials can go through many cycles of usage before they are scrapped. This, however, doesn’t mean they can be used forever. With the advance of environmental science, new bio-degradable replacements are introduced, and Flowers24Hours.co.uk always happily adopts these. For example, the boxes used for packaging our products are 100% bio-degradable. All paper waste that would otherwise be discarded, is shredded and used for package cushioning.
With this in mind, we have established a strategic partnership with Aardvark Recycling, a company that specialises in waste recycling. This represents a long-term solution and commitment on the part of Flowers24Hours to do all that is necessary to work more cleanly. This solution has allowed us to dispose of organic and non-organic waste in an efficient and environment friendly way.
But this is not where our commitment finishes. We have taken steps over the past years towards other environmentally friendly actions. We have done our best to reduce our carbon footprint thanks to investments in sophisticated logistics software. This allows us to always plan delivery and logistics routes that are shortest and require the least amount of time for our vehicle engines to be working. Our vehicles are up to emission standards and are kept in immaculate service condition, ensuring the lowest possible carbon emissions.
All flowers and plants on our website are sourced from domestic growers and suppliers. This significantly reduces the need for additional carbon emissions and logistics involved in fetching them from abroad. Much of our competition uses supply channels from all over the world, usually involving air transport.
Electrical energy consumption is also an important factor that has a large impact. Flowers24Hours.co.uk strives to use the minimum electrical energy. We have taken steps that ensure our electrical footprint is as small as possible: using efficient, low-consumption lighting, as well as the latest energy efficient hardware in our computers, which turn themselves off as soon as there is no need for them.
When you order from us, you know that we have done our best to make and deliver your order in the environmentally cleanest way.
This is by no means the end of our quest. We will continue to improve with a single goal – to minimize our impact on the environment. We believe
a cleaner business is a better, greener business.
