Are you certified to the latest version of ISO 50001?

For many organisations that have implemented a formal Environmental Management System, energy is a significant part of this, both environmentally and financially. Legislation is changing all the time and is placing greater pressure on organisations. In addition, the cost of using high levels of energy can seriously impact the profitability of organisations.

If your organisation uses a lot of energy, or is obligated under the Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS), you can benefit from certification to ISO 50001:18.


What are the benefits of certification?

The Standard specifies requirements for an Energy Management System to identify significant areas of energy consumption and to target energy reductions. It provides a framework that will support you and your organisation to:

Develop a policy for more efficient energy use
Fix targets and objectives to enable you to work in line with the policy
Use data to help you to understand your energy use and to inform your decisions
Measure the results of your targets, objectives and data use
Review how well your policy is working
Continually improve your energy management

You can purchase a copy of the latest version of the Standard here.

Last week was FSC Friday - the Forest Stewardship Council's annual celebration of responsible forestry.

This is a great yearly reminder for businesses of the need to take responsibility for knowing where the materials we use come from - and how we can buy sustainably sourced products.


Why it's important to buy FSC certified 
With the world's forests under threat and public concern for the environment growing, we all need to ensure that we aren't contributing to deforestation. We need to be confident that the products and materials we are buying come from sustainable or managed sources. As the FSC states, "If you don't know where your timber and paper comes from, you could be part of the problem".


Are you buying sustainable wood materials and products?
To ensure you're buying from sustainable or managed sources, make sure you're using FSC certified suppliers. The FSC provides Forest Management Certification (awarded to forest managers or owners) and Chain of Custody Certification (awarded to manufacturers, processors and traders of FSC certified forest products).


Certification
Why become FSC certified?

• Comply with environmental standards
• Meet your CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) targets
• Protect your brand's reputation and increase your credibility
• Work with companies and organisations that value environmental responsibility

FSC certification is a five step process and certificates are valid for five years. Click here to find out more.

​For more information about how the FSC works with businesses, please click here.

To find out how Penarth Management Limited can help your business become more sustainable and gain accreditation to support this, please contact us at info@penarth.co.uk or on 029 2070 3328. ​

Have you updated your privacy policy in 2018?

(If not, you definitely need to put that on your 'to do' list with some urgency!)

​Cardiff based estate agents James Douglas did - and they came to us to help with putting a watertight, legal policy in place.

When GDPR became a legal requirement earlier this year we saw a flurry of companies hurrying to get updated privacy policies in place on their websites before the deadline. And a lot of people went down the route of using a free template - or purchasing one, often with a hefty price tag.

But using a template (free or otherwise) simply doesn't work when it comes to GDPR.

Because without understanding the process (defining the context, interested parties and process mapping the activities) you won’t be able to identify how the privacy policy should be applied within your own business. 
​
That’s what we did for James Douglas. Marketing Manager Celyn Evans says, "GDPR felt like a daunting task to begin with; however, once we spoke to Jodie Read from Penarth and put a plan in place, it became manageable and achievable. Jodie was brilliant at engaging staff and teasing information out of the managers, so that we understood our business model better. After this, revising the privacy policy was pain-free." 

We helped their team to understand the process so that they could develop privacy policies for each of the businesses within the Seraph Group, using James Douglas' policy as a worked example.

"Jodie came to our office for a full day of data-mapping exercises and she made the entire process fun. We were able to explore how GDPR fitted into our company and what areas we needed to address to remain compliant," Celyn explains.

"It was a great opportunity to look at the business from a different perspective, whilst combating the more serious changes in legislation of GDPR."


If you'd like to find out more about how Penarth Management Limited can help your organisation to become GDPR compliant, please contact us at info@penarth.co.uk or on 029 2070 3328. ​

How effective is your supply chain management?

Feedback from initial assessments to ISO 45001 shows that assessors are picking up on Clause 8.1.4, which deals with procurement and effective management of the supply chain. So how effective is yours - and what could you be doing to improve?
​

How to ensure effective supply chain management 

​Have processes in place to ensure effective evaluation and ongoing monitoring.

Obtain evidence of any relevant qualifications, insurances and risk assessments before you start work.

Have a system set up to ensure you supply up to date copies of relevant documents as they become due.

Consider arranging a supplier event to communicate why health and safety is important to you, and to make sure your suppliers understand what you require of them.

Consider asking your suppliers and subcontractors to achieve certification to ISO 45001 to show their level of commitment to health and safety, taking care to ensure that they only use UKAS accredited Certification Bodies.


To find out how Penarth Management Limited can support your organisation to achieve certification to ISO 45001, or to discuss ideas for engaging with your supply chain, please contact us at info@penarth.co.uk or on 029 2070 3328. 

British Airways faced a serious data breach last week in which 380,000 passenger transactions were affected. Hackers stole the customers' names, email addresses and credit card details.

​
What action is being taken?
The airline posted on social media and began sending emails to affected customers within hours.  Customers were advised to contact their bank or credit card provider and cancel the credit cards they had used to make bookings during the window of time affected.

Alex Cruz, British Airways' CEO, has said that any customers who have been financially affected by the breach will be fully compensated. Of equal (or greater) concern though is what might have happened to the stolen data that is in the hands of the hackers - as this could now be used by other criminals.


Reputational damage
Cyber security firm RiskIQ has suggested that malicious code in the British Airways website could be the cause of the breach. This is the first time the airline's website has been hacked since it launched over twenty years ago, but it has been suggested that BA could have done more to make the site secure and ensure any weaknesses were identified. 

The airline's Twitter feed shows a large number of unhappy customers, some of whom were stranded abroad without access to funds. Many were disappointed by the airline's slow response in sending out emails, and by the apparent lack of helpful information given.


How you can help to prevent a data breach in your organisation
ISO27001 Information Security Management is an internationally recognised Standard and takes into account the differing needs of businesses. An organisation that processes third party information will need to ensure information is not accessed by the wrong people while in their hands or while being transferred electronically to others. ISO27001 provides the framework for this and the means of obtaining independent verification of systems by internationally recognised accredited assessors.

To find out how Penarth Management Limited can support your organisation to achieve satisfactory certification to ISO27001, please contact us at info@penarth.co.uk or on 029 2070 3328.

How environmentally conscious is your business?

This week we talked to Sophie Rae of ripple, Cardiff's first zero waste store, about low impact living - and what businesses can do to be more sustainable.

At Penarth Management we're passionate about the environment and minimising our impact. It's why we help companies with their ISO 14001 environmental management systems... and it's why we backed ripple's Kickstarter campaign this summer.

Due to open this autumn, ripple promises to deliver refillable wholefoods, natural beauty products and ethical fashion. Following her very successful Kickstarter campaign, Sophie is now busy working behind the scenes to make her dream a reality.

​What advice would you give to companies who are looking to manage their environmental impact better?

"Conscious consumers are smart and they can see through green washing. If you have an impact, I believe you have a responsibility to ensure it's a positive one. It's no good telling your customers you care about the planet but not acting on that statement.

Whether it's been business as usual over the summer, or you've taken your foot off the gas and had some time off, September tends to feel like a fresh start - the summer is over and we focus on our work with renewed zeal. It's the business equivalent of going 'back to school' and having a brand new exercise book on your desk ready to be filled: a time for target setting, action and development.
​

So what positive change are you planning for your business this September?

At Penarth Management we'll be helping our clients to make positive changes in their businesses, identifying strategies to streamline and simplify their systems.

We've recently seen an increase in the number of clients looking for internal auditor courses, especially ISO 9001 and ISO 13485 (quality for medical devices). When we delivered this training to Gwalia Healthcare, it highlighted the fact that there was a better way for them to manage things. We introduced them to Mango compliance software and they haven’t looked back! Watch the video to hear Graeme Olsen, Senior Quality Manager, talk about why Mango has been the perfect choice for Gwalia.

Implementing Mango is a great way of simplifying quality, environmental and health and safety management in an organisation. It's beautifully simple, and as it's cloud based it can be accessed from anywhere, making it ideal for all sorts of organisations, including multi-site.


For more information about how we can help your business become more efficient this autumn by using Mango compliance software, please contact us at info@penarth.co.uk or on 029 2070 3328 - or request a demo.

Image: Rob Fahey

Gatwick Airport had to implement manual contingency plans this week when their flight information screens went down. Their improvised whiteboard-and-walkietalkie method worked - but hundreds of passenger posts and comments on social media show they could done better.

The important thing now is for them to learn from the experience and update their contingency plans, perhaps putting a backup system in place so they are better able to function in the event of a technical fault.


How healthy are your business continuity plans?

Do you have robust plans in place to cover possible threats and risks?
When was the last time your plans were updated?
Are they regularly reviewed?

Your continuity plans should be designed to help ensure the continuation of your services by minimising the impact of unexpected events on staff, customers, premises, equipment or records.


Make your organisation more resilient 

To find out how Penarth Management Limited can support your organisation to put an effective and robust  Business Continuity Plan in place, please contact us at info@penarth.co.uk or on 029 2070 3328.

​From time to time we come across companies who think they've achieved ISO certification - or that they've found an organisation that can help them achieve it for a bargain price - but they haven't. Not really. They've gone down the 'Mickey Mouse' route: doing it themselves, using less experienced consultants, or using an organisation that's not a recognised Accredited Body.

​
Why it's not worth cutting corners when it comes to ISO accreditation:

1. The organisation you're working with might include an assessment, but this won't lead to any recognised certification.
2. The organisation will spend very little time working with your company, and therefore won't have time to learn enough about you to develop the bespoke solution you need.
3. With only a cursory brief visit, you're likely to end up with some very generic documents (where an edit and replace function slots in your name).
4. You may well fail to achieve recommendation for certification, thereby having to bring an accredited organisation in anyway, and get the assessor back out at a later stage - meaning additional costs and wasted time.
5. It may then prove more difficult to get buy-in from your staff, who have already seen one attempt at implementation fail.

You'll find it's a false economy: the process will end up costing you more in the long term.



Advantages of working with a recognised Accredited Body:

Within the UK, the only recognisable certification is from United Kingdom Accreditation Services (UKAS) approved Certification Bodies (see https://www.ukas.com/services/other-services/directory-of-accredited-organisations/ or our own website: https://www.penarth.co.uk/certification-bodies.html for details of such organisations). Essentially, you are looking for the UKAS Crown and Tick. 
​

1. Your company will gain recognition from a UKAS accredited Certification Body.
2. The organisation will work with your company over several months, constantly making changes and refining things to ensure that they are tailored to you.
3. A reputable organisation will appreciate the need to visit all your site locations, not just head office.
4. You'll see genuine improvements in your business operations.
5. Companies often find it easier to implement changes that have been identified by outsiders. For this to be effective though, your staff need to see and trust the team (which cannot be achieved purely through a brief visit).

To find out about how we can help your organisation with ISO certification, please contact us at info@penarth.co.uk or on 029 2070 3328.

As a company you want to hit the right note when posting and interacting on social media. These online interactions are part of your customer focus and should form part of your quality management, the same as any other customer contact or conversation.

The power of social media is huge - as we discovered this week when we posted this video (made with Matt James of Hammerspace Video) on LinkedIn and it received over 1,000 views in less than two days! But how much thought have you given to the tone of your interactions on social media? Is everything you post in line with your company's ethos, values and mission statement?

We spoke to Miranda Bishop, social media trainer and owner of Talking Social Media, to find out more about why this is so important - and to pick up some tips. 

Miranda says, "Social Media is the window into the day to day running of your business. It's essential that your tone reflects the values of your company, but also attracts the right sort of people."

Although your tone should be consistent and in line with your values, there are differences in the way you should project yourself on the different platforms.

Here's Miranda's quick guide to the four main players:

Facebook: "Here you're targeting people in their personal time, so be human and approachable."

LinkedIn: "Be conversational, but LinkedIn is more structured and formal than Facebook. Be engaging, but talk to people as you might in a professional setting."

Twitter: "Tweeting is a bit of a free for all, but a general rule of thumb is never speak how you wouldn't in front of your Grandma, or in a room full of people you don't know!"

Instagram: "Instagram is much more about beautiful, engaging visuals. Your text matters much less, so instead think about hashtags (or even emoji) that say a lot about you and your business."


Contact us for more information about how process mapping can help your organisation identify the pressure points, understand your operational processes and make changes that save time and money.

How efficient is your company or organisation?

​You may be aware that improvements could be made, but you're not clear on where you should be making changes - or what they should be.

Process mapping is a useful tool that can help companies identify where their pressure points are and what could be done better. It helps business understand their operational processes and how they might be able to become more efficient - saving time and money in the process.

At Penarth Management we use Process Mapping to help our clients' companies become more efficient. We recently used it to streamline our own processes, implementing changes that have allowed us to improve our training delivery. 

Use process mapping to make your company more efficient

​Contact us for more information about how we can help your organisation identify the pressure points, understand your operational processes and make changes that save time and money.


Process mapping and GDPR compliance

A key step in being able to demonstrate compliance with the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) is be the ability to show that you understand how information flows throughout your organisation. We offer half day workshops that will help you to define and document the sequence and interaction of the processes that exist within your organisation. Click here for more information.

Electricians: did you know that the 17th edition for wiring has been superseded by BS7671:2018 - the 18th Edition?
​
BS 7671 is the national standard that all electrical installations should conform to. The new edition went live on the 2nd July 2018 and contains important new information to enable all electrical installers and engineers to ensure they are fully up to date with the latest industry standards.


What you need to know:

• BS 7671:2018 is intended to come into effect on 1st January 2019.
• The changes are not retrospective, but are aimed at new installations.
• Installations designed after 31st December 2018 are to comply with BS 7671:2018. 

 
Need a copy of BS 7671:2018? You can buy a copy here or give us a call on 029 2070 3328 to save 15% on a hard copy.

If your role is managing compliance for your organisation, how easy is it for you to hand things over when you go on annual leave?
​
Compliance is a complex area - and can involve a lot of different systems and procedures. You may find you need to leave parts of the role in the hands of various different colleagues - or that you spend your holidays with just a little background worry that things are not running as smoothly as when you're at your desk.

At Penarth Management Limited we recommend that our clients use a cloud based compliance software called Mango.  We were thrilled when we discovered Mango (which stands for 'management on the go'), a brilliantly simple piece of software that allows compliance managers to go on holiday, knowing that the system is taking care of things for them.


For more information about how we can help your business become more efficient by using Mango compliance software, please contact us at info@penarth.co.uk or on 029 2070 3328 - or request a demo.

As you may be aware, the old OHSAS 18001 has been replaced by the new Occupational Health and Safety standard ​ISO 45001. But how much do you know about the new Standard and the changes it brings?

When?
ISO 45001 was released in March 2018, and companies must move across to the new standard by March 2021.

​
Why?
This international standard offers improved compatibility with other standards such as ISO 9001 and ISO 14001. Many of the requirements are the same as those in OHSAS 18001, but the new Standard is more easily implemented and integrated into your existing systems.


What?
The main change in ISO 45001 compared with OHSAS 18001 is the emphasis on participation and consultation.​ There's an increased focus on the needs, expectations and involvement of workers and on clear communication.

ISO 45001 requires the incorporation of health and safety aspects in your organisation's management system, puts increased emphasis on the accountability of top management with regard to occupational health and safety, and requires companies to take the activities of suppliers and contractors into account

However, the overall aim of ISO 45001 is the same as OHSAS 18001: to reduce and mitigate unacceptable risk and to ensure the safety and wellbeing of your workforce, customers, and anyone else involved in your company's activities.


Need a copy of the new standard? Get a 15% discount if you purchase a copy through Penarth Management Limited.

​To find out more about how we can help your organisation comply with ISO 45001, please contact us at info@penarth.co.uk or on 029 2070 3328.

As you will be aware, the two globally recognised quality and environmental management system standards are soon to change - and the deadline is getting closer! From 15 September 2018 your ISO 9001:2008 and ISO 14001:2004 certificates will no longer be valid. 


How should my organisation prepare for the transition?
If you haven't yet taken steps to prepare for the transition, you need to make a start as soon as possible.

Familiarise yourself with the changes. Obtain copies of the new standards here (ISO 9001) and here (ISO 14001).

Do a Gap analysis. This will help you identify the areas you should be focusing on within your business, and establish how long it will take to undertake the transition assessment.

Book a place on a course. Reserve your place on one of our one day ISO 9001 or ISO 14001 training courses, designed for people responsible for implementing and/or maintaining a Quality Management System in line with the requirements of ISO 9001:2015.


What else do we need to know?
All certification bodies should have be auditing against the new standards from 1 September 2017, to give organisations time to manage the changes before the 2018 deadline.


To find out more about how Penarth Management Limited can support your organisation with the ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 transition, please contact us at info@penarth.co.uk or on 029 2070 3328.

Today is the first anniversary of the Grenfell Fire Disaster. We've seen a sharp increase in the number of people recognising the need to undertake proper fire risk assessments since the tragedy, with business owners and property companies wanting to make sure that they are up to date with what they need to do to mitigate risk for their employees, customers and tenants. 


Does this apply to you?

All business premises need a Fire Risk Assessment by law, as well as a designated Responsible Person who is held accountable for fire safety. You’re the Responsible Person in non-domestic premises if you’re an employer, the owner/landlord of the property, or otherwise have control of the premises (i.e. facilities manager, building manager, managing agent or risk assessor). 

You also need a Fire Risk Assessment if you have paying guests, or are the owner or landlord of a block of flats.


When should a Fire Risk Assessment be carried out?

Businesses need to carry out a Fire Risk Assessment in order to comply with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 - and once completed, the fire risk assessment should be reviewed and updated periodically. There is no fixed period for reviewing your Fire Risk Assessment, but it has become standard best practice to review the Assessment every 12 months and have a third party to carry out a new Assessment every five years, taking into account any changes to legislation and guidance.

You should also conduct a review if there are changes to a building's layout, the way the building is used or the type of occupants.


To find out more about how we can help your organisation comply with the relevant fire safety regulations and standards, please click here. You can also contact us at info@penarth.co.uk or on 029 2070 3328.

This week is the week of World Environment Day, and this year's theme is something that has been steadily filtering through the public consciousness in recent years: plastic pollution.


Did you realise...

5 trillion plastic bags are used worldwide every year
500 million plastic drinking straws are used every day in the US alone
13 million tonnes of plastic waste find their way into the ocean each year
1 million plastic bottles are bough every minute
100,000 marine animals are killed by plastics every year
83% of tap water has been found to contain plastic particles
50% of consumer plastics are single use


​
Wildlife Warriors

Our Managing Director, Jodie Read, joined Gwent Wildlife Trust's Magor Marsh Wildlife Warriors youth group and leaders last month, spending an evening picking up plastic waste from the foreshore of the Severn Estuary.

​The group collected 12 full bags of plastic between Undy Causeway and Collister Pill in just under an hour - a great achievement, but also a stark reminder of the sheer amount of plastic waste littering our environment globally and locally.

With nearly half of UK households* now owning a dishwasher, washing up by hand has become a thing of the past for many. Dishwashers use far less water (up to 6,000 gallons a year) than doing the washing up by hand - but what about those of us who don't own one?

Whether you have a dishwasher or not, here are some tips to reduce the environmental impact of doing the washing up...
​
​Dishwashers

• Make sure you fill the dishwasher fully to use energy and water most efficiently.
• Don't rinse your dishes before you load the dishwasher.
• Don't run the dry cycle - the temperature of the water should mean that your dishes will dry naturally if you leave the door open after the machine has finished.
• Invest in a newer, more efficient model with a good energy rating.

Washing up by hand

• ​If you don't own a dishwasher, using a washing up bowl (rather than keeping the tap running) will reduce the amount of water being used.
• To reduce the need to change the water in the bowl, wash the cleanest items (such as glassware and cups) first, followed by dishes and plates, and finally, pots and pans. 

To find out how Penarth Management Limited can help you to reduce energy and be more efficient, please contact us at info@penarth.co.uk or on 029 2070 3328.

* Source: www.statista.com/statistics/289151/household-dishwashing-in-the-uk/

We’re sure there’s a great joke answer to this (anyone know what it is?), but this is an area that can cause some confusion – so here are the basic differences between an audit, an assessment and a surveillance visit.
 
Audit
Gathers evidence that policies and processes are in place and working, and meet the requirements of the relevant standards and the stated objectives of the organisation.
Can be carried out by the organisation itself or by its representatives such as consultants with appropriate experience – this is an internal audit. Many standards include internal auditing as a requirement for registration.
Can be carried out as part of an assessment or surveillance visit by an external certification body – this is a third party audit. Second party audits may be carried out by other interested parties such as customers.
 
Assessment
Carried out by a third party certification body, preferably one accredited by UKAS.
Involves a comprehensive audit of system documents (manual, policies, procedures etc.).
Aims to confirm whether the system meets all stated requirements of the relevant standard and if the organisation has set realistic objectives for ongoing improvement. 
Is followed by a detailed inspection on site to confirm whether those documented procedures are being carried out in practice.
Outcome of a successful assessment: the issuing of a certificate of registration to the relevant standard or standards.
 
Surveillance visits
Are a condition of continuing registration once a certificate has been issued.
Ensure that the organisation continues to adhere to the Management System and requirements of the standards.


To find out how Penarth Management Limited can support your organisation to meet the standards relevant to your industry, please contact us at info@penarth.co.uk or on 029 2070 3328.

This week is Business Continuity Awareness week, a global event facilitated by the Business Continuity Institute to raise awareness of the latest trends in business continuity, and the value effective business continuity can bring to organisations.


Do you have a Business Continuity Plan?

The theme of this year's BCAW 2018 is "Working together to improve organisational resilience". A business continuity plan is a useful tool to help organisations plan for the unexpected - a data breach (something we're all becoming acutely aware of with the GDPR regulations coming into force next week), supply chain failure, cyber attack, utilities supply failure or natural disaster.


Fail to plan: plan to fail

However large or small your business, if you have no plan in place to deal with potential challenges, the outcomes can be far worse than if you have a preplanned course of action to follow. Putting together a Business Continuity Plan for your organisation will help you to identify potential threats to your business, and put plans and policies in place to help reduce disruption if the unexpected does occur.


Make your organisation more resilient 

To find out how Penarth Management Limited can support your organisation to put a Business Continuity Plan in place, please contact us at info@penarth.co.uk or on 029 2070 3328.

To learn more about Business Continuity Awareness week click here.

Are you finding yourself struggling to keep up with training needs in your business?

If so, you're not alone!

We see many successful businesses grow, often quickly - and then struggle to keep up to date with who's had what training and how long that training is valid for, and ensuring that refresher training is booked on time.

Many of the people we see start off doing a fantastic job using Excel. (Did you know that Excel spreadsheets can be edited to have conditional formatting, so they automatically colour code events to show their current status? A great feature when you're trying to keep on top of training dates.)

However, as their workforce grows, and their training needs expand, busy Training Managers often find that they are attempting to manage an increasingly mammoth task. Even the most organised spreadsheet is eventually outgrown, and a different solution is needed.


A better solution

Penarth Management Limited can support you in managing the training needs of your workforce. 

Benefits of working with us:

• We'll help you to put in place systems, standards and software to keep track of training in your growing workforce more efficiently - saving you time and money.
• You can rest assured that your staff are always up to date with the training they need to maximise their performance and look after their health and safety.
• We'll give you the tools to keep your organisation fully compliant with the law and relevant standards.

​For more information about how we can help your business manage training more efficiently, please contact us at info@penarth.co.uk or on 029 2070 3328.

It was World Day for Safety and Health at Work on 28 April - the annual international campaign that's been running since 2003 to promote health and safety in the workplace. As specialists in compliance, health and safety is something that's at the forefront of our minds all year round - and something that we know can feel like a challenge for many of our clients.


Streamlining health and safety compliance
Responsible employers understand the importance of protecting their staff and customers, but managing health and safety compliance can seem a daunting task, especially for multi-site organisations with a large number of factors to consider.

Here at Penarth Management Limited we searched for the perfect piece of software to support our clients to achieve simpler health and safety management, finally teaming up with Mango, a cloud based compliance software solution.


Simple, adaptable, accessible
Mango makes complying with health and safety legislation simpler, easier and more streamlined. It helps our clients do away with paper files and unresponsive spreadsheets, and because it's a cloud based system it can be accessed anywhere. Mango adapts well for organisations of different sizes, is ideal for multi-site businesses and can be easily adapted to suit your company's specific structure and requirements.


Gwalia Healthcare loves Mango 
We recommended Mango to our clients Gwalia Healthcare. Watch the video to hear Graeme Olsen, Senior Quality Manager, talk about why Mango has been a great choice for Gwalia.

​
For more information about how we can help your business become more efficient by using Mango compliance software, please contact us at info@penarth.co.uk or on 029 2070 3328 - or request a demo.

The theme of World Earth Day on 22 April was to end plastic pollution.

After the big hitting success of David Attenborough's Blue Planet 2 earlier this year, and with the same theme for this year's World Environment Day coming up on 5 June, there has never been a better time to raise awareness of plastic pollution and to take action.


What do you already do to reduce the amount of plastic you use at work?
Even if you're very aware of how much you and your colleagues use, and do your best to limit it, we can all do more to change our mindsets around the way plastic fits into our workspaces. By making a few small changes you can make it easier for people to minimise their use of plastic at work.


What can you do in your workplace to reduce plastic usage?
There are lots of ways to reduce the amount of plastic your colleagues and employees are using - even within an office environment. Make a start with our ten suggestions.

Around the office

• Reuse proper cups and glasses; don't provide single use disposables.
• Encourage employees to bring a reusable drink bottle to work - or provide a branded one for them - rather than buying a disposable one.
• Provide drinking fountains rather than vending machines.
• Cut down on cleaning products that come in plastic bottles. Look into environmentally friendly alternatives that use microfibre cloths and water (a double win: you've just reduced hazardous substance use too!).

In the staff kitchen/canteen

• Ask your caterers/canteen staff to move from using plastic packaging for food items to sustainably sourced cardboard packages and paper bags that are biodegradable and more easily recycled.
• Provide proper metal cutlery in the staff canteen/kitchen, rather than disposable plastic items.
• Replace plastic drinking straws and coffee cup lids with biodegradable alternatives.
• Have milk delivered in returnable glass bottles.

Office supplies

• Use pencils made from sustainably sourced wood, rather than plastic propelling types. 
• When ordering promotional materials, go for smart branded paper bags rather than plastic carrier bags to hold free gifts and company literature.

The UK currently generates around 41.9 million tonnes of commercial and industrial waste each year*. So what can your organisation do to help reduce this and make your workplace more environmentally friendly?

Think before you print 
80 million tonnes of paper is discarded every year in the UK and accounts for 24% of total UK waste. Think - do you really need to print at all? If you do need to print, make it double sided (most computers have duplex print capability). You could also print two pages to a side to further reduce paper consumption.

Embrace technology
Invest in paperless solutions: use apps for everyday tasks such making notes, communications, and setting reminders (goodbye post-its!). Issue employees with tablets rather than notepads.

Get organised! 
​Put things away in a neat, tidy and systematic way. Not only will you know where things are, but you'll reduce the likelihood of things being damaged and needing to be replaced.

Reuse and recycle 

• Provide air dryers or reusable hand towels in toilets and common areas as an alternative to disposable paper towels.
• Provide water coolers or drinking fountains instead of vending machines - and rather than plastic cups, provide real drinking glasses.
• Buy recycled paper for your printers - 70% less energy is needed to recycle paper than is needed to make it from raw materials.

Sort out your systems - and get everyone on board

• Encourage all staff to save scrap paper and reuse it where possible before recycling.  
• Make sure you have recycling bins in every area of your workplace, and train all staff to follow the recycling rules for your county, such as separating different types of waste, and putting food waste in a compost bin.

* Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.