Laverstock & Ford PC - Sycamore Drive Presentation

Environmental Impact Statement

Minimising our Carbon Footprint eibe is committed to reducing its Environmental footprint and Carbon Emissions and undertakes to do whatever we can in order to ensure this happens. w As a result eibe is recognised, independently tested and certified to ISO 9001 and 14001 for its Quality and Environmental Management Systems As a result of the processes set out within (particularly ISO14001) these systems set out processes and procedures for the reduction of Carbon Emissions wherever practical. Examples of this include – Reducing Unnecessary Travel – Where possible we will contact our clients remotely rather than travel unless it is considered necessary. We have been using team meeting applications such as Zoom, Google Hangouts, Microsoft Teams and Teamviewer etc which also allow third parties to be include on the meetings. This reduces the carbon footprint and, as time is a precious commodity, reduces peoples travel time. All eibe office-based staff are actively encouraged and incentivised to car pool. Whilst in some instances it is not practical to do so, where ever possible senior management encourage this throughout its staff, not only does this have a positive effect on the employees i.e. reducing their own fuel/car expenses – but also has a positive effect on the amount of vehicles on the road and therefore the carbon emissions expended. These are just a number of examples in which as a business eibe look to reduce its carbon emissions. Other more obvious and day to day examples include: Practical measures we have taken to improve the environment, reduce consumption of fuel and other natural resources. Please see below a number of practical measures eibe have been taken to improve the environment, reduce fuel consumption and natural resources: Using the interactive map facility on our Force Manager CRM system to maximise the effectiveness of travel planning. The purpose of this implementation was twofold – to ensure staff were being as productive as possible within their working day, and to also ensure that through the reduction of wasted vehicle journeys fuel consumption was reduced. The effects of which since its inception have seen staff driving company vehicles doing so much more methodically and with their travel plan in mind. This has helped to reduce company overheads, has made staff more productive, and has reduced overall fuel consumption of the business. The installation of an incinerator at our manufacturing plant in which is is fed by the off-cuts of wood/timber from eibe’s manufacturing process and as such generates heating for the eibe head offices on the site. Whilst the initial investment in the incinerator is large , it was deemed appropriate to make its business more financially effective, reduce waste, and reduce its environmental footprint. Our manufacturing plant is approximately 9,000m2 in size. It manufactures and produces approximately 20 million Euros worth of wooden playground equipment each year from its central manufacturing plant. As a result of the manufacturing process it is inevitable that waste from offcuts is created, even using eibe’s precision engineered machinery. As a result eibe chose to invest in an incinerator. In the first instance this was on the basis of burning wood/timber offcuts as a means to heat the factory and warehouse and reduce the need for waste to be exported (by vehicle) from site to landfill. This then expanded to systems being installed where the incinerator now also heats eibe’s Head Offices. This has seen a hugely positive impact on the reduction of waste within eibe’s factory – reducing its environmental impact and changing it for an increase in natural fuel consumption that otherwise would go to waste/landfill. In addition, it has also seen a benefit in the financial savings it makes on gas usage.

Ensuring only Sustainable Products are used In line with our Environmental policy, we consider the environmental implications of materials, manufacturing, installation activities and subsequent through life sustainability and ultimately disposal. We adopt design best practice ensuring that we look at whole life costs including the principles of minimising waste during the lifecycle of our play areas thereby mitigating the need for disposal of material wherever possible. We seek to design out waste both during manufacture, installation during its useful life, and following decommissioning of the play area. eibe’s has a wide and varied product range. Using only FSC Certified Timbers, we manufacture and supply a large quantity of timber/wooden and steel playground equipment to a wide range of public and private customers. In addition, to the above eibe’s manufacturing process for the pressure impregnation of its timbers is tested and certified to RAL standard. Ensuring that the chemicals used in the manufacturing process are non-harming, and furthermore ensure that at the end of all eibe equipment life it can be disposed of without harming the environment. All Steel elements are manufactured to our required specifications using appropriately sourced materials with a focus on recycled materials. The steel used in the manufacture of structural elements is either galvanised or powder coated and fixtures are stainless steel. This ensures a long lifetime of use with low maintenance and can all be recycled for use in the future. We have repaired and refurbished play units at many sites and included them in the installation where they add play value for very little outlay. Other authorities have requested that their existing units are de-installed and re-installed in an alternative location or, sometimes, in their depots for future use. The spoil resulting from foundation excavations is important to any site as it allows the site to be contoured with mounds, bunds or other features adding three dimensional interest. Any arisings that cannot be reused will be disposed of in local registered and licenced sites. One example is the reuse of Wetpour surfacing which was previously sent to landfill. Now there are recycling opportunities whereby the wetpour is processed and reused for equestrian menage surfacing. We are also certified under the Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) to ensure we maintain and improve our environmental performance. When assessing potential subcontractors and suppliers, we review their approach to sustainability ie do they use recycled and/or environmentally sound materials. Awards On Friday 11 November 2016 we were presented with our Green Apple awards for Environmental Best Practice and appointed as International Green World Ambassadors at a ceremony at the Houses of Parliament. We were accompanied by representatives from Rhonda Cynon TAF CBC with whom we were awarded Gold in the Built environment Gold Award International Green World Ambassadors We were honoured as International Green World Ambassadors for the second time at the special ceremony held at The Crystal in Docklands, regarded as the most sustainable events venue in the whole of the UK. This prestigious recognition comes as a result of the environmental success of our “Dinosaur Island” project at Southwater Country park in Horsham, which won a Green Apple Environment Award .Dr Paula Owen of Green Gumption presented eibe’s managing director, Paul Redden, with the trophies and certificates.

Sycamore Drive - Laverstock And Ford Parish Council / 50

Sycamore Drive - Laverstock And Ford Parish Council / 51