Sustainability and Waste

Project 6 is committed to promoting sustainability. Concern for the environment and promoting a broader sustainability agenda are integral to Project 6’s activities and the management of the organisation. We aim to follow and to promote good sustainability practice, to reduce the environmental impacts of all our activities and to help our clients and partners to do the same. 

Principles
Our approach to sustainability is based upon the following principles: 

• To comply with, and exceed where practicable, all applicable legislation, regulations and codes of practice.
• To integrate sustainability considerations into all our business decisions.
• To ensure that all staff are fully aware of our approach to sustainability and are committed to implementing and improving it.
• To minimise the impact on sustainability of all office and transportation activities.
• To make clients and suppliers aware of our Sustainability Statement, and encourage them to adopt sound sustainable management practices.
• To review, annually report, and to continually strive to improve our sustainability performance.

Environmental Sustainability

Travel and meetings

• Walk, cycle and/or use public transport to attend meetings, site visits etc., apart from in exceptional circumstances where the alternatives are impractical and/or cost prohibitive. 
• Include the full costs of more sustainable forms of transport in our financial proposals, rather than the least cost option which may involve travelling by car.
• Avoid physically travelling to meetings etc where alternatives are available and practical, such as using teleconferencing, video conferencing or web cams, and efficient timing of meetings to avoid multiple trips. These options are also often more time efficient, while not sacrificing the benefits of regular contact with service users and partners.
• Reduce the need for our staff to travel by supporting alternative working arrangements, including home working etc., and promote the use of public transport by locating our offices in accessible locations.

Purchase of equipment and consumption of resources 

• Minimise our use of paper and other office consumables, for example by double-siding all paper used, and identifying opportunities to reduce waste. 
• As far as possible arrange for the reuse or recycling of office waste, including paper, computer supplies and redundant equipment. 
• Reduce the energy consumption of office equipment by purchasing energy efficient equipment and good housekeeping.
• Seek to purchase electricity from a supplier committed to renewable energy.
• Ensure that timber furniture, and any other timber products, are recycled or from well-managed, sustainable sources and are Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified.
• Purchase fair-trade and/or organic beverages.

Economic Sustainability

• Build recovery capacity by training people in recovery to become Peer Supporters and Volunteers, thus sustaining long term recovery.
• Where a traineeship becomes available Project 6 will offer it in the 1st instance to people in recovery who are not in employment.
• Project 6 will offer services to assist people in recovery into education training and employment.
• Project 6 will offer work experience placements in a range of service areas and development plans for people in recovery who are also volunteering for us.

Good Housekeeping Practice

Individually, any small savings that employees and volunteers can make, all add up collectively to larger savings in energy. When energy is required then it should be used appropriately, however when not, then it should be turned off, or turned down to a lesser setting.

Considerations to make during a working day:

• Try to plan your day if using a computer. Don’t just switch it on first thing in the morning and off last thing at night, when the system is perhaps only used for an hour.
• Set the radiator thermostats to a setting which suits you and your colleagues, if there is a problem regarding the setting then dress appropriately.
• Try to use natural day light, if at all possible, if there are no clients in activity rooms ensure that the lighting and heating is turned off.
• Doors and windows during the heating season come into the above category, do not leave them open longer than is necessary.
• When boiling a kettle heat only the water you require.
• Do not leave taps running even cold water taps require energy to arrive at the premises.

How can you help?

Winter Months

• Anticipate weather conditions by watching or listening to local forecasts. This can determine the type of clothing you should wear that day at work.
• Keep a spare jumper in the office for those ‘off days’ when you may feel chilly.
• Make sure all windows and curtains are closed at the end of your working day.
• If your room is feeling stuffy; renew the air by fully opening a large window for no longer than 10 minutes and promptly close.
• Do not sit still for long periods, take exercise to warm body extremities and take hot drinks.

Arrange office furniture so that you can:

• Reach the radiator valve to turn off or on as you require.
• Do not drop clothing or other articles over radiators
• Try to sit where you can feel the radiant heat from the radiator or even the sunshine.

Disposal of Waste

From time to time Project 6 will be required to visit the local Recycle Centre to dispose of general household waste. Please adhere to the following points when disposing of any waste generated by Project 6.

Sheffield:

• Our agreement with Sheffield City Council and Veolia Environmental Services is to dispose of household waste only. For anything other than household waste e.g. brick, soil, rubble, clinical, chemical, gas bottles, tyres or hazardous waste, please contact Finance and Resources who will arrange for a suitable alternative disposal. As a general rule, if it doesn’t comfortably fit in the minivan then it is too big to dispose of at the recycle centre.
• Project 6 is allowed 12 visits to the tip per year. Please check current status of visits with Finance and Resources before visiting the recycle centre.
• Only Blackstock Road HWRC can be used. Do not visit any other recycle centre.
• The Project 6 minivan must be used for all visits to the recycle centre
• You must adhere to the Manual Handling guidance from the Health and Safety policy when carrying waste to and from Project 6 minivan.
• Keighley staff may use their own vehicle and require the use of a pass.