Charltons has invested in a 350 KWp solar panel system.  The new ‘Solar PV System’ will generate around a large percentage of the business’s energy each day, with predicted future cost savings in excess of a million pounds as well as a reduction 1,400 tonnes of carbon over the next twenty years – the equivalent of powering 1,750 homes for a year.Charlton aims to become carbon neutral and the investment in the solar panel system helps that journey, with all its energy now coming from renewable sources.

Not only are Charltons producing renewable solar energy  we are relying on green energy. All produced from Biomass, Solar, Hydro & Wind power.

Our Workshops are heated using our own by-products as biomass heating.

The electricity we use travels through a “transmission” system run by the National Grid and local distribution network operators.

All the electricity generated by various sources around the UK enters into this same system. This means megawatts generated by a wind turbine get mixed up with those generated by a nuclear reactor or a coal power station.

So, how do we know that the electricity we are using is from Green Sources?

Renewable suppliers match the amount of electricity their customers use with the amount they buy from renewable sources. So, if a business uses, for example, 20 megawatt-hours (MWh) a year, a supplier will need to ensure it buys an equal amount of power from the National Grid, which the National Grid sources from electricity generators. If that supplier offers 100% renewable power, it will need to ensure it has the right kinds of deals in place with renewable generators to deliver that amount of power.

Environmental Policy

Policy Statement

Timber from sustainably managed forests is a truly sustainable material and is the responsible and natural choice for many end uses.  We believe that greater use of the wood products which we produce will contribute towards the effective use of the world’s natural resources and thereby help to conserve the world’s reserves of first growth and tropical rain forests.

Timber products are an ideal way to fix carbon reducing greenhouses gases.  Older trees will release carbon dioxide as they decay.  It is therefore essential that we utilise the timber resource effectively to lock away as much carbon as possible.

The logs used in the sawmill are derived from sustainable forests in the United Kingdom, managed under the UK’s stringent forestry standards administered by the Forestry Commission and purchased in line with the EU Timber Regulation 2013.

In addition, we will endeavour to exclude wood described as follows from our supply:

• Wood harvested from forest areas where traditional or civil rights are violated
• Wood harvested from non certified forest areas having high conservation values which are threatened
• Wood harvested from genetically modified (GM) trees
• Illegally harvested wood
• Natural forest that has been converted to plantations or non-forest use

The process of converting round timber (logs) to sawn timber and sawmill co-products (sawdust, chips and bark), does not involve the creation of any waste products.  All of the round wood is converted to sawn timber and co-products:  wood chips and sawdust provide a raw material used in the manufacture of wood based sheet material and bark is used for horticultural and amenity uses, including mulches and soil improvers (as an alternative to peat) and as a surface for play areas and equestrian facilities.  Our aim is to operate, as far as is commercially viable and practical, in an environmentally sound way.

Our production process is carefully planned and closely monitored and the aim is to improve on the present high standards as equipment becomes due for replacement.

We are conscious of our location and try to minimise the impact of our operations on the surrounding rural environment.  In particular, we regard general sawmill site housekeeping, maintenance and transport as matters of the highest priority.

Environmental Commitment

We are proud to be manufacturing products from timber, one of the best sustainable building products.  We are fully aware of making best use of the resources available and with timber there are four major processes:

• Forestry

Growing timber absorbs carbon dioxide, fixes the carbon and releases the oxygen.  As the trees die and decay the process is reversed, so it is important to harvest the trees for timber products to prolong the carbon fixing

• Sawmilling

Sawing the trees into timber products which fixes the carbon for the life of that product in fencing or building timbers

• Recycling

Sawn timber products can often be recycled into chipboard where the carbon remains fixed for another period

• Power

Chipboard products can then be used for generating heat and power finally releasing the carbon back into the atmosphere where the growing forest will again fix the carbon, completing the cycle

The objective is to keep the environment in balance and this principle permeates through many of our policies and actions.

The sawmill was designed with this objective, to suit the locally available round timber supply:

• All the trees we receive are fully converted into products as sawn timber, woodchips, sawdust and firewood which all have a useful (local) market
• Timber is purchased on a sustainable basis and we are certified for PEFC.  We also try to buy locally but many small woodland owners are unable to afford the Cerification costs.  It is essential to make best use of all our resources and therefore, in such cases, we ensure it is sustainable with correct felling licenses.

Where sawn timber or finished products are bought in from external suppliers we assess our suppliers to ensure that the timber they use is from sustainable sources and complies with the EU Timber Regulations 2013.

Within the company employees are encouraged to be environmentally sensitive, recycling paper, cardboard and plastic wherever possible.  Our usage of fossil fuels is being reduced and minimised wherever possible with biomass heating being used within the workshop.

Jan 2023

Mission Statement

A J Charlton & Sons Ltd are working towards being a more sustainable business across all areas of the company which includes operating in a way to reduce the social and environmental impacts of the business

Responsibility

Peter Charlton has overall responsibility but 6 monthly updates will be maintained by Michele Archer and circulated to the Board. Reducing our impact will benefit all stakeholders and all employees also have a responsibility in their area to assist in meeting the aims and objects

Policy Aims

We endeavour to

• Comply with all relevant regulatory requirements
• Maintain and improve our social and environmental impact
• Continually improve and monitor our progress
• Incorporate the Social and Environmental factors into business decisions
• Increase employee awareness and training

Paper

We will seek to

• Minimise the use of paper in the office
• Buy recycled paper and products wherever possible
• Reuse and recycle all paper where possible

Energy and Water

 We will seek to

• Minimise the amount of energy used to reduce our carbon footprint
• Use Bio Fuel heating to its full potential
• Source Renewable energy wherever possible
• Take energy consumption into account when purchasing new equipment
• Continue the policy to replace all light fittings with LED lights.

Waste

Timber is an environmentally material and all the by products have a commercial use. For other items we will

• Recycle wherever possible this includes paper, oil, plastic and metals
• Store safely to avoid spillage
• Encourage staff to eliminate waste at source

Maintenance and Cleaning

We will seek to

• Use environmentally friendly products where ever possible
• Use licensed organisations to dispose of waste and meet regulations

Transport

We will

• Encourage the use of travel alternatives such as video conferencing and email
• Favour green vehicles over other vehicles
• Reduce our delivery mileage to customers by combining loads or working with other hauliers already in the area to reduce small deliveries
• Train drivers to drive with respect for other drivers and villagers
• Endeavour to start journeys at times to avoid peak traffic

Local Communities

We will endeavour to

• Use as many local suppliers and workers as possible to reduce travel and bring benefit to local business
• Assist local communities and charities with beneficial projects
• Encourage staff to participate in their local activities

Monitoring and improvement

We will

• Continually monitor to improve our performance
• Monitor our Timber suppliers to be sustainable
• Increase employee awareness through training and introduction of an employee section on our web site
• Review this plan annually

     January 2023

We are committed to improving our transport efficiencies

New Arctic lorries have replaced smaller less efficient rigids. With the improved efficiency of the upgraded engines, emissions have been reduced and the mpg of transport has improved by 17%. By using arctics, rather than rigids, the number of vehicles on the road has been reduced, delivering the same volume in fewer trips. Carbon is also being offset by the use of more biofuel.

Backloads of raw materials are being returned on the empty Arctics reducing 3rd party deliveries, therefore reducing mileage and emissions.