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Sterling is committed to reducing impact on the environment
August 2007
ISO 9001
Sterling has held the ISO 9001:2000 accreditation since first achieving the standard in November 1995.
This is supported by the employment of a full time Quality Systems Manager who is responsible for the maintenance and periodic review of the Quality Management System, for both process performance and compliance with the requirements determined by ISO 9001:2000.
Achieving ISO 9001:2000, has allowed Sterling to consistently maintain its internal quality standards and has engendered a commitment to quality throughout the company.
Key stages of the production process are identified, from receipt of the enquiry, to delivery of the product and posting of the invoice, in order that quality can be “built in” at these critical control points.
Quality checks are performed at pre-determined intervals to ensure compliance with planned arrangements and the Quality Management System. All employees are responsible for feeding back quality information which will assist in our overall objective of Continual Improvement and ensure the highest levels of customer satisfaction.
ISO 14001
Accepted by more than 80 nations as the ultimate standard for Environmental Management, the ISO 14001:2004 accreditation has required a significant commitment from all 120+ employees at Sterling, since first achieving the standard in November 2006.
Sterling has been introducing “green” working practises for many years and has always been conscious of its social responsibility, particularly the obligation to minimise the environmental footprint of the company wherever possible.
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Developing an Environmental Management System was necessary to further tighten our environmental controls, with the involvement of employees at all levels, the important milestone of achieving registration to the ISO 14001:2004 standard was achieved in less than a year.
Sterling has endeavoured to engender an environmentally aware attitude across the whole company, the external assessor from BSI commented that ‘the company has achieved a high level of compliance with the ISO 14001:2004 standard with clearly demonstrable improvements already achieved, staff at all levels showed a high level of knowledge and commitment’.
The continued success of the company has been achieved in parallel with the introduction of a structured Environmental Management System, as such we continue to work closely with our customers and suppliers in order that we meet our key environmental objectives:-
- To reduce our consumption of Natural Resources
- To minimise the wastage of Natural Resources
- To reduce our consumption of Hazardous Chemicals
- To minimise the emissions of Volatile Organic Compounds
(Hazardous Chemicals) - To ensure the safe storage and disposal of Hazardous Chemicals
- To ensure compliance with applicable Environmental Legislation/Regulation
- To increase the Environmental Awareness of employees through regular training
- To reduce our consumption of Packaging Materials and encourage recycling and re-use by the end user
- To purchase environmentally sensitive products and services wherever possible and increase customer knowledge of these options
FSC/PEFC Registered
Sterling has recently achieved registration with both the FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) and PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification) schemes. This gives our customers the opportunity to support the responsible management of forests worldwide.
Founded in 1993 the FSC operates through 400 members in 50 countries; these members include Governments, Environmental Groups, Community Groups and Industrial Leaders.
The principles and criteria determined by the FSC ensure that forests are being managed in an Environmentally Sensitive, Socially Responsible and Economically Viable manner.
As such the FSC has been endorsed by environmental organisations, high-profile retailers and forest products companies. Increasingly Sterling is working with its clients, for example Jewson, to promote the Chain of Custody schemes and use of FSC and PEFC accredited paper sourced from responsibly managed forests.
Unlike the FSC, the PEFC does not set specific standards but is an “umbrella” brand which incorporates different National Forest Certification Schemes, this is intended to make the verification process quicker and less complex.
Both the FSC and PEFC schemes operate under Chain of Custody systems which allow the end product to be traced back through the supply chain to the forest of origin. In order for products originating from certified sources to carry the FSC trademark, the timber has to be traceable from the forest of origin through every production processes until it reaches the end user. Only when this traceability has been independently verified (by SGS Qualifor), is the product eligible to carry the FSC trademark.
The FSC trademark enables customers to choose forest products which are not contributing to the destruction of the world’s forests. By buying from certified sources you are providing an incentive for responsible forest management.
The two most commonly asked questions;
Is this going to require more time and effort?
No, once your decision has been made Sterling will do the rest of the work for you!
Just ask us to source FSC/PEFC certified paper, and through our Chain of Custody registration, we will apply on your behalf for use of the trademark on your products.
Is this going to costs us more?
No, FSC/PEFC certified paper is no more expensive than other papers, so you can be environmentally friendly without suffering increasing costs, whilst publicly demonstrating your company’s environmental credentials.
DEFRA Energy Targets
In conjunction with the key environmental objectives set out by our Environmental Management System we have formally agreed Energy Efficiency Targets with DEFRA, the target reductions in Electricity and Gas consumption are 7% for 2008 and 14% for 2010.
3% Waste to Landfill
Sterling has implemented a wide ranging waste segregation and recycling programme, with 30+ different waste streams identified. By segregating, recycling and improving staff awareness we have been able to reduce the volume of waste going to landfill to less than 3% during 2006.
Energy Efficient Premises
Sterling relocated to new premises during September 2005, these premises have many environmental benefits in terms of there construction, efficient waste extraction, energy saving lighting and emissions control systems.