Last year, we invited auditing company The Green Mark to help us improve our environmental performance. Airside achieved an 'Outstanding' score for the Level 1 award.
In order to achieve this, we addressed the following areas:
Resource use and waste management.
We now monitor waste and set targets, we print double sided where possible, reuse envelopes and use electronic formats when possible. We show how all waste (including hazardous waste) is dealt with through legal, responsible and proper measures.
Energy use and efficiency
We have implemented a switch off policy for electrics, we use energy saving lightbulbs, we have replaced the water cooler with a filter tap.
Transport
Only one Airsider owns a car, and most of us cycle. We use public transport or a green accredited taxi company to get to meetings, and use bike couriers when practical.
Purchasing and procurement
We consider everything we buy, and where we buy it from. We buy recycled paper, envelopes & toilet paper, refilled inks, & environmentally friendly cleaning products.
Products and services
We aim to work with responsible companies. Where possible we are using ethically sourced t-shirts and vegetable inks on products.
Awareness and communication
Everyone at Airside is on board with being an environmentally aware organization, and we align all our thinking and products to our environmental policy.
www.green-mark.co.uk
Three Trees Don’t Make A Forest is a social enterprise founded by Nat Hunter from Airside, Sophie Thomas from thomas.matthews, and Caroline Clark from Lovely As A Tree.
Our aim is to inspire and provide tools for all designers and businesses who use design. Our ultimate goal is to be the catalyst for the creation of a zero carbon design industry.
Our immediate goals for 2008 are to produce a handbook for all design studios who want to minimise their impact on the environment, to create an on-line knowledgebank so we can all share our knowledge about ways to design sustainably, and to continue our programme of talks and workshops.
www.three-trees.org
