Foremost Furniture Limited – Environmental Policy

Foremost Furniture believes that businesses are responsible for achieving good environmental practice and operating in a sustainable manner.

We recognise that our activities have an impact on the environment in terms of the use of raw materials, emissions to air and water and waste generation.

We are therefore committed to reducing our environmental impact and continually improving our environmental performance as an integral and fundamental part of our business strategy and operating methods.

It is our priority to encourage our customers, suppliers and all business associates to do the same.  Not only is this sound commercial sense for all; it is also a matter of delivering on our duty of care towards future generations.

Our policy is to:

  • Comply with legislation, guidance and approved codes of practice issued at International, National and Local levels
  • Minimise our waste and reuse or recycle as much as possible within the framework of our waste management procedures
  • Minimise energy and water usage in our buildings, vehicles and processes in order to conserve supplies, and minimise our consumption of natural resources, especially where they are non-renewable
  • Prevent pollution to land, air and water
  • Provide adequate resources to control the environmental, health and safety risks arising from our work activities
  • Reduce the environmental impact of our vehicles
  • Apply the principles of continuous improvement in respect of air, water, noise and light pollution from our business and reduce any impacts from our operations on the environment and local community
  • Via analysis of our carbon footprint seek opportunities to continuously improve our ability to identify measures and control the environmental impacts of our activities
  • Plant (as a minimum) 30 trees per month with Carbon Neutral Britain
  • Make sure all materials where possible are sourced from sustainable, renewable or recycled means and assess and monitor suppliers and subcontractors to make sure all company objectives and procedures are achieved
  • As far as possible purchase products and services that do the least damage to the environment and encourage others to do the same
  • Maintain an open and constructive dialogue on environmental, health and safety issues with our employees, contractors, suppliers, customers and regulatory authorities
  • Use local companies in the first instance and where appropriate
  • Address complaints about any breach of our Environmental Policy promptly and to the satisfaction of all concerned
  • Update this Environmental Policy annually

Implementation:
Our internal processes to implement the key elements consist of the following:

  • Disposal of waste via 5 routes:
    • Hazardous solvent waste is disposed of using authorised accredited hazardous waste removal companies
    • Dry Mixed Recycling is collected. Material skips are located on site.
    • General waste is collected for processing. One general waste skip is located on site – Waste transfer documentation is retained for a minimum of 3 years
    • Adhoc bulk waste is taken from Foremost Furniture to the Suez waste transfer and recycling centre
    • Paper waste is collected and shredded by a Confidential Destruction Company who supply us with certificates of destruction.
  • Our waste/recycling management company recycle over 90% of all our waste collected
  • Consignee return notes and waste transfer notes are retained for a minimum of 3 years
  • Virgin timber off cuts are used for heat generation in the wood shop burner
  • Wood shavings and sawdust are collected by local farmers and used for animal bedding
  • We use reconstituted foam and recycle all foam off-cuts
  • Material returned to site is refurbished or reused as much as practicable to reduce the amount of waste generated
  • Foremost Furniture holds a Waste Carriers Licence (Reg. No. CBDL157712)
  • We operate and maintain company vehicles with due regard to environmental issues as far as reasonably practical