Our Environmental policies

Environmental Performance

As a socially responsible business, Chelmsford Star Co-operative Society Ltd is committed to protecting the environment by developing our business in a sustainable manner whilst reducing waste, improving efficiency, reducing carbon emissions and preserving natural resources.

We believe that protecting the environment is integral to the long-term sustainability of our society. We recognise that our business operations have both a direct and indirect impact on the environment and the wider community, and acknowledge a responsibility to protect the environment and promote environmental awareness and best practice to our colleagues, members, customers, suppliers and the local community in which we serve.

To improve our environmental performance, we have pledged to:

• Comply with all relevant environmental legislation, regulations and code of practice.
• Develop, maintain and implement policies, procedures and management systems to assess and monitor the environmental impact of our operations.
• Establish environmental objectives and targets to promote continual improvement
• Ensure potential environmental impacts are assessed for all new processes, projects and for the acquisition, design, refurbishment, location and use of buildings.
• Ensure environmental impacts are taken into consideration in the procurement of goods and services, and that suppliers demonstrate their respect for the environment by following responsible business practices.
• Work in partnership with our colleagues, members, customers, supply chain and the wider community to encourage sustainable behaviour, whilst promoting best practice.
• At Board level, review our success at least annually and report to members our progress.

The Board of Directors and Management Executive are fully committed to this policy and will continue to ensure its implementation.

Energy Policy

As a socially responsible business, Chelmsford Star Co-operative Society Ltd is committed to protecting the environment by developing our business in a sustainable manner. In January 2016 we undertook to reduce our carbon emissions by at least 25% over the following 5 years. We achieved this target (and then some) in January 2021.

We achieved this reduction by;

• Monitoring energy consumption regularly, maintaining internal league tables against targets.
• Converting those trading site meters which consume more than 25,000 kwh’s annually to AMR meters.
• Investing in new energy efficient technologies including plant and equipment, having considered the life cycle and payback period achievable.
• Increasing colleague awareness of energy efficiency instore and at home.
• Encouraging continual professional development for technical staff involved in energy efficiency.
• Implementing a regular programme of energy audits to identify energy saving opportunities.
• Limiting all new Society cars – provided to colleagues for the performance of their duties – to 144g CO₂/km.

Recycling

Chelmsford Star does not like to see things go to waste. In fact, 99% of our waste is recycled. You can find out more about our environmental credentials here.

Our food stores all offer points to recycle used batteries, and we’re working with the Salvation Army to recycle old and unwanted clothes at six of our locations. Our Quadrant department stores collect and redistribute unwanted books and magazines at our restaurant-adjacent Book Swap stations.

We also encourage the recycling of small electricals in our food stores and homeware departments, and we support the Waste Electrical or Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directive. You can find out more about recycling your electrical equipment and the work of WEEE here.

Updated 01.07.2021