GreenCare

"To continuously strive to improve the environmental performance of our customers."

Environmental Information

Greencare seeks to continuously improve environmental performance and to minimise waste. As a company, we were recently involved in a county based initiative ‘Network 14’ – designed to assist companies throughout the region to improve their environmental performance. As part of the programme, an external environmental audit was carried out by Gloucestershire Econet in December 2001.

Greencare were the first remanufacturing company in the UK to establish a professional take-back scheme for used printer cartridges. The Company has been involved in this since 1989 and was amongst the first to register under the terms of the 1992 Duty of Care and holds relevant exemptions under the Waste Management Regulations of 1994.

Scope: Remanufacture of Printer Cartridges and Collection of Office Waste and Gas Discharge Lamps for Recycling.

Apart from the obvious impact on the environment of landfill, let us take the example of Fluorescent Lamp Disposal

Due to its unique properties mercury (a nerve poison) is an essential component in a great number of products such as energy saving fluorescent lamps, highly reliable mercury zinc batteries and even in life saving medical products and old latex based paint. There is as yet no substitute for mercury in many electrical components. Therefore mercury will be with us for many years to come.

All over the world, scientists are still proving that mercury pollutants are becoming an increasing problem. Although mercury is toxic, its most poisonous form is methyl mercury, which results from a chemical modification by bacteria. A new study has found that landfill disposal of such products can chemically alter the mercury rendering it even more toxic and speeding its release into the air. The necessity of ensuring that mercury does not enter the waste stream through landfill is now even more important but mercury discharges are continuing to contaminate forests and waters on a world-wide scale resulting in severe damages to our eco system.

The mercury from just one fluorescent tube could contaminate 30,000 litres of water beyond safe limits.

Mercury attacks the nervous systems of animals and is already present within the food chain.

Technology exists which enables us to recover and re-use the mercury which is why European and national environmental legislation is driving the management of end-of-life products away from traditional disposal methods towards increased resource efficiency and greater sustainability through recycling.

As a company in anticipation of the prospective Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive (WEEE) and the need for higher levels of recovery, we have been involved in the government SustainaLite Scheme that will:

• Clearly communicate a recommended and sustainable approach for he management of end-of-life gas discharge lamps

• Encourage the setting of minimum standards for those who manage end-of-life gas discharge lamps.

The Scheme draws on existing accreditation criteria such as ISO 9000 and 14001 and uniquely determines a benchmark for the sustainable management of end-of-life gas discharge lamps. The benchmark is output based to allow for and to encourage developments in services and takes into account existing and proposed legislation such as WEEE and the Landfill Directive.

The Scheme is aimed at large producers and consumers of gas discharge lamps and designed specifically to deliver consistent, auditable and high environmental standards throughout the country.

Lamps covered by the scheme are: fluorescent tubes, compact fluorescent, high pressure mercury, high pressure sodium, metal halide, and low pressure sodium.

• Promote a significant improvement in the management and resource use of end-of-life lamps;

• Enhance the environment by responsible and sustainable management of end-of-life lamps;

• Continue to encourage the responsible management of residual materials resulting from this waste stream; and

• To facilitate compliance with the proposed WEEE Directive’s targets for end-of-life lamps.

Greencare are amongst the first companies in the UK to achieve accreditation under the SustainaLite Scheme to accredit waste management and recycling companies for the management of end of life gas discharge light sources (ie fluorescent tubes and other lamps).

Greencare is one of the first companies in the UK to achieve SustainaLite accreditation Greencare is an ISO 9001:2000 registered company

A nation wide logistical infrastructure underpins the collection of end-of-life gas discharge lamps by certified companies. The subsequent disassembly and material separation of end-of-life lamps will only be undertaken by accredited lamp recycling companies. The recyclers will disassemble the lamps and for those lamps containing mercury, will separate the mercury-rich fraction to facilitate the delivery of the highest practicable level of recycling and reuse of recovered materials.

All waste management companies participating in the Scheme will have met detailed environment and heath and safety criteria and comply with the requirements of ISO 9000.

MORE DETAILS ARE AVAILABLE ON THIS AND OTHER RECYCLING INITIATIVES AT www.greencare.co.uk

As a company we feel a strong commitment to young people and actively encourage any recycling initiatives as they come through.

There are currently two students gaining work experience with us and they have written of their own involvement through Greencare with recycling.

My name is Louise and I have been doing work experience with Greencare for a few weeks now. I have found it a valuable experience so far and a good source for my business coursework. I have had a chance to learn more about recycling which I wouldn’t normally do and it has made me more environmentally conscious. I am finding my time working with Greencare interesting and fun. I am enjoying learning about new things and how such a business works. Work experience at Greencare has had a huge impact on mylife and I now make sure I recycle what I can when at home.

My name is Tom, I’m currently working part-time at Greencare. I asked for a job after doing work experience here. My experience here has helped me with my college course and also helped me understand how office waste and electrical equipment can be recycled. I would recommend Greencare as a good place to apply for work experience or a job because it has a good working atmosphere and is very educational.

www.greencare.co.uk