Respect for the Environment

We are committed to taking steps to control and minimise any damage our operations may cause to the environment through manufacturing processes, transport, energy usage and packaging. In particular we are aware of the issue of climate change and we continue to seek to understand and minimise our carbon emissions.

We are particularly proud of our recycling record and continue to recycle all cardboard tubes and polythene sheet returned to Harris House – our national Central Support Office, warehouse and cutting facility, by our distribution fleet. Harris House does not send any waste to landfill, with even general rubbish being compacted and incinerated to produce energy.

Our aims in 2010/11 were:

• To evaluate energy saving schemes and implement the most promising to reduce gas and electricity consumption.
• To review our company car policy to ensure more environmentally friendly choices of vehicle are available.
• To investigate the feasibility of installing Automatic Meter Read (AMR) meters across the store estate to improve electricity consumption data quality which will allow us to target problem sites and to establish the success or otherwise of energy saving projects.
• To continue to identify and investigate stores having excessive water consumption. 
• To investigate and benchmark energy and water consumption figures for the European division of the business.

Our Progress in 2010/11 was:

Energy saving schemes

We have held talks with a number of consultants and contractors to discuss the validity of a number of energy saving schemes. Some of these proposals are still in discussion stages and will continue into next year. One scheme, to install a more sophisticated heating control unit within stores was adopted and implemented in three stores during 2010. The results of the trial have proved to be inconclusive in its first winter, however, we will continue to monitor and assess the site selection process. In the UK and RoI, our energy efficiency has improved marginally to utilising 239.3 kWh/m2 of sales space (2010: 240.7 kWh/m2), based on estimated meter readings. Similarly, we have improved our energy efficiency in relation to km/litre in respect of our dedicated DHL operated delivery fleet to 3.41 km/litre (2010: 3.36 km/litre).
 

Installing Automatic Meter Readers (“AMR”)

Carpetright has embarked on the installation of remote metering (AMR) in all monthly-read supplies to improve electricity consumption data quality which allows us to target high consumption sites.
 

Investigating excessive water consumption

As a result of bill monitoring and site investigations/repairs, we were able to reduce our water consumption in the UK and RoI by over 50,000m3 during the year and aim to achieve further reductions in 2011/12. Further site works were completed during the year and are still awaiting confirmation of billing, however this work is estimated to reduce annual water consumption by a further 23,000m3.
 

Benchmarking energy and water consumption in the Rest of Europe

Procurement and Consumption data in the Rest of Europe has beencollected and is currently being reviewed, in order to help  identify opportunities to reduce consumption levels and costs.
 

Recycling

We recycled 1,590 tonnes of cardboard representing 105% of all cardboard purchased. We are able to recycle more cardboard than we purchase by recycling cardboard tubes salvaged from manufacturers’ direct deliveries to stores. We recycled 362 tonnes of plastic sheet, representing 75% of all plastic sheet purchased. In October 2010, we began recycling off cuts of new carpets generated by our cutting department. We do not currently collect and recycle packaging relating to our bed sales, which are delivered by third-party carriers.

Our targets for 2011/12 are:

• To continue to evaluate energy saving schemes and implement the most promising to reduce gas and electricity consumption.
• To continue to identify and investigate stores having excessive water consumption.