ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY STATEMENT
House of Cheese, a small family business, endeavours to operate wherever possible with regard to the environment, and to find ways of incorporating environmentally friendly procedures into its operation. We hope to bring the desirability of having an environmental policy to the attention of our suppliers and to those companies whose services we use, and we applaud the businesses, both large and small, who are making a contribution in this field.
We recognise that we, and our business, have a direct impact on the environment, as shown below, and undertake the following measures:
1. Shop/Home Energy Use - We live above our shop. This has several environmental benefits: use of space above commercial premises which would otherwise be wasted. We do not have a second home, with the extra energy consumption that this would entail.
2. Shop/Home Material and Water Use - We buy produce from local suppliers where possible. This currently includes a range of cheeses from a local farm (Godsells), and two ranges of chutneys (Kitchen Garden, and Mrs Massey).
All water consumption in the shop and in our home, is metered. The hot water and (in the winter) heating is on a timer, to operate for only a few hours a day (except in severe weather conditions). All WCs (home and shop use) have a water-saving short flush.
3. Shop/Home Transport Emissions - Because we live above our shop, we use no transport in travelling from our home to our shop. We do not make deliveries using our own commercial vehicle. Apart from the very busy month of December, we only despatch orders for our internet business three days a week, rather than four or five. We use Parcelforce Worldwide, who are strongly committed to many environmental policies in the operation of their business.
Due to the highly perishable nature of many of our products, most of our deliveries have to be made within 24 hours but, where possible, we will use a 48 hour service if parcels only contain non-perishable items.
4. Shop/Home Waste/Recycling - We aim to produce as little paper waste as possible by using a "paperless office." Where at all possible, we use e-mails rather than letters. We do not produce a printed catalogue, but refer customers to our website, which is our online "catalogue". Invoices are paid electronically, rather than using cheques and envelopes; invoices for our own products are not printed and posted, but are sent online.
Void packaging/insulation materials (biodegradable starch) for our internet business are obtained from Green Light Products.
All cardboard from shop use is either re-used, or sent for re-cycling. Our own cardboard boxes for our internet business are supplied from R H Fibreboard, who also use re-cycled products. We use paper carrier bags in our shop.
All glass, newspaper, and plastic bottles from our home use are re-cycled. Where possible, rubbish sacks are biodegradable.
We recognise that we have an indirect environmental impact through, for example, suppliers and those who provide services to us, and address these as follows:
1. Carbon emissions from Suppliers - Where possible we buy perishable supplies every three weeks, rather than weekly, to avoid unnecessary journeys by suppliers. We buy non-perishable supplies as infrequently as possible, sometimes purchasing up to a ton or more at one time.
2. Environmental standards of Suppliers - We are using several suppliers who have an environmental policy which is available to the public through their website. Two examples of these are:
The DRH Collection, from whom we buy accessories.
Kitchen Garden Preserves, from whom we buy chutneys.
The latter company operates from Stroud, Gloucestershire, so we are pleased to be able to support a business which is not only environmentally aware, but local.
3. Sourcing of raw materials - We have expanded our range of cheese-related accessories to include items such as boards made from Spanish olive wood; the trees used are no longer producing fruit, but trees are continually replanted to replace them. We also sell boards and knives crafted from re-cycled barrels obtained from the wine industry.
Signed: Philip Grant
Position: Partner
Date: 7th October 2010
Created: 7th October 2010
Reviewed: Annually