Here at Platts, we understand that sustainability is key when developing a business and as an organisation, we hope to demonstrate a positive impact on the people and places around us. In 2018, we were privileged to be awarded the Royal Warrant, being recognised as a sustainable and corporately responsible supplier to the Royal Farms in Windsor.
However, as the world continues to change, so do our resources, technology, and capabilities as a business- and we’d like to continue to promote sustainability across all levels of our organisation. Within a business, sustainability is generally addressing two main categories – effect on the environment and on society. The goal of a sustainable business strategy is to make a positive impact on either one of those areas.
It’s hoped that as Platts grow, we can continue to make some small changes that will have a positive impact on our local community, and on our wider environment.
What is the Green Growth Pledge?
Business Wales have recently launched the ‘Green Growth Pledge‘ to support Welsh Businesses in their efforts to promote sustainability from within. It provides a practical way for businesses to demonstrate their positive impact on the people and places around them and join a growing community of forward-thinking organisations.
By signing up to the pledge, each company is asked to make a commitment to one or more actions to help them reduce impact or ensure sustainable performance. Platts have recently ‘pledged’ some of our commitments to take action- you can read about these below:
Our Green Growth Pledge:
- Improving fuel efficiencies:
Recent months at Platts has seen installation of new TomTom Telematics Technology in 18 of our Heavy Goods Vehicles – to make fuel efficiencies, and encourage economical driving, and improve route planning. The improved modern system is designed to provide in-cab driver feedback- and remote monitoring, to improve driving style, eco-conscious driving – and reporting on Idle engine hours. The software provides daily, weekly and monthly reporting on the above, as well as a driver league table based on this feedback, designed to achieve positive results.
- Packaging- Reducing Plastic Waste:
If you’re in any way up-to-date with current affairs, you can’t have missed the increased talk of single use plastics. Last week saw the completion of 2 new packing lines in our factory- which converted packaging of our bedding products from bags, to bales. More units are now stacked per pallet- meaning less plastic packaging, to reduce plastic waste overall. The new machines will cause less plastic to be wasted daily in end of line polythene – and cut packaging.
With more units per pallet- load sizes will contain more units, meaning less journeys, to reduce emissions and fuel use. As dairy farms continue to grow in size, we’re supplying more bulk sawdust than ever before – where packaging is not required.
- Less is Best!
Platts best-selling products, Powderbed and Finebed are designed to be used sparingly- so there’s less waste. All our products are completely dry, so where cow mats or mattresses are installed, only a small amount of bedding is required to provide absorbency and soak up any bacteria-causing moisture. Since only a coffee cup of product is required per cow-mat, less waste is produced overall. All our products are safe to be spread out on land within slurry after they’ve done their work. And the cycle begins again…
Watch this space!
Over the next few months, we’ll be monitoring our ‘pledged’ promises, and when we’ve achieved a positive improvement, we’ll be awarded the Green Growth Pledge from Business Wales. We hope to be able to announce before too long that we’re well on the way to an even more sustainable future at Platts… we’ll keep you posted!
