The Environment
In recent years, environmental issues have become one of the key drivers for change in many sectors, including the traffic industry. Traditionally, the major influences on policy have been on the basis of finance, quality, safety and industry standards. These elements have recently been joined by a strong environmental angle, with organisations increasingly taking a supplier’s green credentials into consideration as part of a quality evaluation. Within Siemens, we have been making considerable progress towards reducing our impact on the environment, from the products we design to the way we function as a business. This page focuses on how we are continuing to improve our environmental impact.
Environmental Policy summary
We are committed to the Siemens plc corporate environmental policy. This divisional policy sets out, and builds upon, the commitments as they apply to Traffic Solutions.
We are committed to conserving the environment and natural resources with are and respect. This applies to our operational sites, our products, our processs and our services. It is our aim to go beyond statutory requirements to prevent environmental pollution or to reduce it to a minimum.
This means that we will:
- Conform to and, where appropriate, exceed the requirements of all relevant legislation, regulations, and with other requirements to which the orgniasation subscribes which relate to its environmental aspects.
- Establish design and purchasing standards that will promote the use of environmentally friendly process and mateirlas and that will encourage the development of products that can be reused, recylced of disposed of safely and in an environmentally sound way.
- Aim to avoid incidents, and the unnecessary release of pollutants into the environment through the use of risk assessment and appropriate preventative action. Nevertheless, be prepared for accidents and emergencies and be able to responnd to them quickly and effectively.
- Promote reduction in the consumption of naturual resources, whilst encouraging rre-use and recyuling and the use of recycled materials where applicable.
- Design energy efficiency into new products, services and facilities and manage energy use responsibly in all areas of the business.
- Continually improve targets and objectives to reduce pollution and avoid waste at all times.
- Work with and encourage our suppliers to minimise the impact of their activiteis on their envoronment and pursue best practice.
- Employ sound environmental practices when working on customers' premises.
- Promote environmental awareness, responsibility and the use of appropriate technology with all employees and all persons working for or on behalf of the organisation and include those issues in training programmes throughout the company.
- Recognise and encourgae the contribution each employee can make towards improving environmental performance.
- Strive to minimise the extent and duration of disturbance from our operations - e.g. noise, vibration, visual disturbance and traffic congestion.
- Apply appropriate management to ensure that our environmental policy is implemented effectively. The technical and organisational procedures to do this shall be monitored and developed continually.
- Seek to reduce the impact of the company's activities on the local environment and be a good neighbour in the community.
Gordon Wakeford
Managing Director
Traffic Solutions
Gary Winstanley
Operations Director
Traffic Solutions
Management and reduction of waste
Our main depots are used as a central point for the collection of materials from our mobile workforce for recycling. There are separate waste streams for metals, plastic, signal heads and lamps. A waste hierarchy is in place to ensure the priorities are as follows:
1. Minimise (or avoid at all)
2. Reuse – for example, incoming packaging is used for outgoing
3. Recycle – range of recycling facilities for office-based and field-based materials
4. Recovery – salvageable items are used as spares where possible for older items, and equipment not reused is broken down and the metal sent for recycling
5. Disposal – the least desirable option
Procurement
As a company we are accredited touse the BSi ‘RoHS Trusted’ Kitemark. Our suppliers are categorised according to their RoHS knowledge and processes so that we know which components can be used on the products we certify.
The energy consumption of our products
Around 80% less energy is used by ST900 Extra Low Voltage (ELV) traffic signals compared with traditional designs. Central Light Source (CLS) signal heads which have a greater lifespan between lamp changes are used, reducing visits and material consumption. Intelligent above-ground detection is encouraged in design to replace disruptive below-ground loop sensing technologies. More
BS EN ISO14001
The company has achieved this environmental standard. More information can be found here
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