Operational practices
My business's core value is sustainability.
Sustainability of the materials I use:
- Sweet chestnut is very good at sequestering carbon. Sweet chestnut is a durable timber that will last for 20+ years outside, untreated, and coppicing is a regenerative woodland management technique that encourages more carbon to be locked away as new shoots grow once the tree is cut, each growing into its own full-sized tree trunk.
Sustainability of my processes:
- To manufacture my products, I predominantly use hand tools (apart from an electric drill and sharpening wheel). There is a forestry element to my work in which I endeavour to use electric tools where I can but petrol tools are sometimes necessary.
- The larger offcuts of the timber go towards making other, smaller products, those that are too small either go towards heating my home or fertilising my garden - literally, nothing is wasted.
- I have LED lighting in the workshop and very good natural lighting.
- The workshop electricity is supplied by solar panels which are supplemented by mains when needed.
- I am aiming to be a paperless business and I am encouraging others to do the same.
Equipment used in the business
I have the following electrical equipment:
- Laptop
- Mobile phone
- Electric drill
- Electric sharpening wheel
- Kettle
- 18v chainsaw
I have the following petrol/diesel equipment:
- Petrol chainsaw
- Business vehicle
I will carry out regular maintenance where appropriate and according to the instruction manuals.
I will replace computing and phone equipment only when necessary and recycle or donate the old
ones. When necessary (and if finances allow), I will replace my diesel vehicle with an electric one.
Energy consumption
Most of my equipment is electrical. My home office is heated by a combi gas boiler and my workshop has no heating.
I will immediately do the following:
- Turn everything off when not in use and do not leave anything on standby,
- Unplug chargers when not in use,
- Boil only enough water for the number of cups needed,
- When there is a fire burning, boil water for tea and coffee using that,
- Only print out a document when absolutely necessary and print double-sided where applicable,
- Send shorter emails and avoid large attachments,
- Clear out stored emails regularly,
- Store important documents on the cloud and migrate to using cloud-based software over time,
- Use energy-saving light bulbs,
- Use rechargeable batteries and charge using solar power,
- Turn the heating thermostat down by 2% and wear warmer clothing,
When funds or contract terms allow, which may be in my second or third year of trading I will:
- Seek a 100% renewable tariff
- Purchase an electric vehicle
- Swap my electrical equipment for more energy-efficient models.
- Invest in extra insulation in the roof space and replace ill-fitting windows.
Travel
At this stage, journeys in my vehicle are going to be necessary to visit customers to take measurements and to deliver and install products. However, I will:
- Where possible, meet with customers virtually and only visit them physically when absolutely necessary,
- Where possible and practical, use public transport,
- Minimise journeys as much as possible and look to combine purposes to minimise the number of journeys,
- When my vehicle needs replacing (if funds allow), I will purchase an electric model.
- Look for a courier with similar values to deliver my products.
Suppliers
- The timber I use is supplied from a woodland less than 10 miles away.
- The fixing I use are purchased from local suppliers (where possible and practical)
- The tools I purchase are from local suppliers (where possible and practical)
Waste
- Waste produced is minimal. Materials are repurposed where possible (as detailed above),
- Use cups/mugs/glasses reusable,
- Reuse packaging where possible,
- Some cardboard goes to the compost and the rest is recycled,
- When I upgrade any equipment, I will take the old ones to the recycling center.
Monitoring
I will monitor my energy use every quarter so that I am aware of what I am using and can
adjust to further reduce my usage where possible. When I have data for a full year, I will
recalculate my carbon footprint. I will use this information for business purposes and continue to
aim to be as low carbon as possible.
Energy Consumption
I will use a monitoring spreadsheet and record my electric and gas consumption every month. My home office represents 10% of my home according to HMRC so I will record 10% of meter readings for business use.
Fuel
I keep a record of business mileage. My vehicle does roughly 11 miles to the litre and therefore I can record the amount of diesel used in the relevant month.
Cost
I will also monitor actual costs. When I have data for a full year, I will recalculate my carbon footprint. I will use this information for business purposes and continue to aim to be as low carbon as possible.
I am committed to being as low carbon as possible.