The School Planner Company takes its environmental responsibilities seriously. Wherever possible, papers are from sustainable sources and waste is recycled.

We are mitigating carbon emissions from the paper production process by funding tree planting with the Woodland Trust, the UK’s leading woodland conservation charity. The Woodland Trust aims to improve the landscape of Britain by planting more native trees and protecting ancient woodland.

Our print division is committed to lowering carbon output through investment in clean-running and low-power consumption presses, in conjunction with carbon offsetting.

We recognise that, in pursuing ourcommercial objectives, we share with all organisations a responsibility to protect and nurture the environment. By exercising proper control over its activities, the School Planner Company will promote the use of sustainable resources and discourage practices that are wasteful or damaging to the environment.

This policy contains a variety of practical measures to be taken in order to enable the School Planner Company to make a contribution towards protecting the environment at all levels of activity.

A twice-yearly review of the policy enables monitoring of achievements, and identifies opportunities for further improvements.

Key Aims

• To reduce unfavourable impact on the environment by The School Planner Company through our work and consumption.
• To conserve and support use of sustainable resources.
• To follow “the waste hierarchy”:
  • Reduce;
  • Re-use or reclaim;
  • Recover (Recycle);
  • Dispose – as last resort.
• To establish and follow environmental good practice, and comply with all relevant environmental regulations and legislation.
• To develop organisational awareness of the need to care for the environment and measures that can be taken.

Use of Materials

The School Planner Company will, where appropriate and possible:

• Use FSC or PEFC papers from sustainable sources
• Communicate its “greening” initiatives to suppliers, staff and customers.
• Use double-sided printing and photocopying.
• Reuse printed paper for draft copies, internal notices, rough pads, draft printing, and informal hard copies of documents.
• Encourage electronic filing and archiving to reduce paper usage.
• Limit the use of cover sheets for faxes.
• Take care when producing letters not to run over on to another page or to include empty line spaces if not necessary.
• Recycle packaging materials where possible.

Electronic and Waste Conservation

The School Planner Company will, where appropriate and possible:

• Purchase recycled products.
• Purchase Fair Trade Products
• Plan energy management to reduce consumption of electricity, including a plan to phase in the programme.
• Consider having a third-party energy audit to see where energy savings can be generated.
• Establish a purchasing policy to use environmentally friendly products.
• Expand our on-site recycling programmes.
• Order supplies from companies with sound environmental principles and with an environmental policy.
• Where possible, use local suppliers in order to minimise “fuel miles”.

Disposal of Materials

The School Planner Company will, where appropriate and possible:

• Recycle all paper waste, including shredded confidential documents
• Provide clearly labelled containers for material to be recycled, with notices of what can and cannot be recycled.
• Provide an environment free of hazardous materials.

Employee Awareness

The School Planner Company will, where appropriate and possible:

• Provide environmental information and education for employees, encouraging employees to behave in an environmentally responsible manner.
• Organise staff training in environmental awareness.
• Use signs and notices as reminders.
• Include relevant information in new employees’ orientation.
• Post our Environmental Policy on our website.
• Encourage existing staff to set examples for new employees.
• Create awareness of the benefits to the environment of commuting by walking, bicycling or using public transport.
• Make information on recycling systems in the School Planner Company available to all staff.