Why is ISO14001 Certification So Important?

We are proud to say that since 2012, Marley Alutec has held ISO 14001 certification for environmental management. Kevin Stanley our Head of Operations and Customer Service explains why this is so important to us as a business and what we have done to improve our environmental performance.

With climate change, waste and the consumption of natural resources now priority issues globally, it has never been more important to consider the environmental impact of everything we do. As a business, we believe we have a moral responsibility to play our part. Central to this has been our adoption of ISO 14001 for environmental management and our repeated recertification to this globally recognised standard.

We know that sustainability is increasingly important for our customers, many of whom choose aluminium guttering, rainwater drainage and eaves products due to the green credentials and recyclability of the material. This means they are also keenly aware of ensuring the manufacturer’s practices support these environmental benefits and use standards such as ISO 14001 as a mark of a responsible supplier.

What is ISO 14001

The standard provides a set of requirements for an environmental management system that helps organisations of every size and in every industry to holistically assess, manage and monitor their environmental performance. This helps to drive continual improvement through strategic decision making.

Achieving ISO 14001 certification

Developing an environmental management system in line with ISO 14001 has allowed us to understand where improvements can be made and develop plans to meet these goals. One of the most important has been achieving zero landfill waste through a series of initiatives. This included swapping from plastic to paper for all packaging tape, ensuring all bubble wrap is fully bio-degradable and moving from polyester bags to recycled cardboard boxes for the shipping of all small products. On top of this, any scrap that is produced, including wood, cardboard and aluminium, is now fully recycled. In addition, we reduced the energy consumption of our Bedford warehouse by 30% by converting all fluorescent lighting to energy efficient LEDs.

To achieve ISO 14001 certification, we underwent a rigorous and comprehensive audit of our processes to assess our compliance with the management system as outlined in the standard. The audit focused particularly on waste reduction, sustainable practices, legislative awareness, employee engagement and a proactive management of environmental issues. While the certification lasts for three years, it is subject to annual reviews, which we have consistently passed for over a decade.

Click here to find out more about our commitment to environmental responsibility.