Sustainability & Environmental Policy

At Smarts we want to ensure that the work we do has a positive impact on the world around us. Although we became a Carbon Negative agency in 2020, we know that we still have a lot to do to turn our environmental impact into one that is positive for the world around us. We have a phased carbon reduction and action plan of efficiencies in place detailing how we will further reduce our footprint. 

Our goals and ambitions are as follows: 

• – We are a proudly Carbon Negative agency 
• – We have pledged to halve our carbon footprint per head by the end of 2024 
• – We are planting 1 million trees by 2030 as an agency group 
• – We’re on a journey to be zero waste to landfill across all of our office locations 
• – We’ve set up Green Transport schemes like Electric Vehicle leasing and Cycle to Work
• – We’re supporting personal carbon offsetting 
• – We host and create regular sustainability volunteering opportunities 
• – As part of MSQ we’re leading the industry forward as a senior partner in the BIMA sustainability council 

Policy

The purpose of the detailed policy below is to outline our approach to environmental management, demonstrating our commitment to continuously seeking to improve sustainability and environmental performance.

We support a positive environmental culture across all our offices by actively promoting best practice and ensuring sustainability considerations are built into decision making across all aspects of the agency. We recognise that compliance with relevant environmental legislation and approved codes of practice is the minimum standard we should expect from ourselves.

The education and training of employees in environmental issues and the environmental effects of their activities is fundamental in achieving our targets set out in our internal environmental management system working towards sustainable development. 

Policy in Practice

In order to ensure we can measure a positive impact, we have devised a ‘roadmap’ which will measure our commercial footprint in terms of tonnes of C02, by employee and at an absolute level.

Every employee will be informed and empowered to help achieve our targets, with key working groups formed to ensure this policy is applied across the board.

Paper

• – Encourage all employees to avoid printing unless entirely necessary. 
• – Use paper from sustainable sources. 
• – Double sided printing is encouraged. 
• – Avoid hard copies by encouraging clients to receive manuals electronically. 
• – Cancel junk mail/unwanted publications to reduce amount of waste to be collected.
• – Place paper re-cycling bins next to each photocopier. 
• – Promote paper and cardboard recycling.

Waste

• – Reduce waste generation and maximise the re-use and recycling of waste material in our operations (re-use then recycle). 
• – Creation of sustainable supplier lists – outlining those who prioritise waste reduction. 
• – Encourage others to minimise and recycle their own waste.
• – Ask suppliers to take excess packaging away with them when they deliver. 
• – Avoid using disposable catering products. 
• – Review computer supplier/manufacturer refurbishment contracts. 
• – IT department ensure redundant IT equipment is recycled. 
• – Special waste disposal procedures required for paint, sanitary waste and fluorescent tubes (lighting). 
• – Ensure we have ‘duty of care’ documentation from contractor(s) covering all waste collection. 

Recycling

• – Re-use will cut both purchase and disposal costs, whereas recycling will only reduce disposal costs. 
• – Support the recycling process by purchasing recycled paper products (paper drinking cups as opposed to plastic). 
• – Liaise with other building tenants to make the collection of recyclables more economical. 
• Materials for recycling; 
  • – Glass bottles (contact local authority for collection services) 
  • – Aluminium cans (contact local authority for collection services) 
  • – Toner cartridges (return to manufacturer by pre-paid envelope through a specialist remanufacturing company or charity-run scheme). 

Water

• – Seek to reduce the unnecessary consumption of water in our buildings. 
• – Drinking water provision managed by sustainable suppliers. 

Energy

• – Seek to increase energy efficiency in its buildings and operations. 
• – Promote the efficient use of energy. 
• – Purchase energy centrally and get renewal quotes from existing and alternative suppliers annually. 
• – Turn off heating/cooling in unoccupied rooms. 
• – Make sure windows are closed when using heating/air-con. 
• – If a computer has the ‘energy star’ or ‘power save’ feature make sure it is activated; machines are often set up with it disabled. 
• – Insist that monitors are switched off when not in use, or staff are away from their desks at meetings or lunch, as screens use twice the energy of PCs. 

Transport

• – Promote Green Transport schemes like Electric Vehicle leasing and Cycle to Work.
• – Reducing air travel. Video conferencing technology and appropriate hardware has been installed on all computers. Air travel has to have prior, written approval. 

Environmental Reporting

• – Assign a senior manager with responsibility for translating our commitment into action. 

Purchasing

• – Investigate environmentally acceptable alternatives, and whenever practicable, purchase products and services for its own operations that have a minimal impact on the environment.

Pollution

• – Seek to minimise all forms of pollution, including noise, generated through our activities.

Environmental Health

• – Ensure, so far as is practicable, the working environment is safe and without risk to health and welfare of its employees. 
• – Maintain high standards of food safety.