NHBS is committed to contributing to the sustainable management of the global environment by acting responsibly and considering environmental, social and economic factors in all business processes. We recognise the importance of managing our own direct and indirect environmental impacts and of applying the principle of sustainable development by meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.
We are concerned about the impact of plastics in the environment and we welcome the increased focus that is being placed on this problem. Currently our Equipment Catalogue, British Wildlife, and Conservation Land Management magazines are delivered in a plastic wrapping. We realise that this is not an environmentally-friendly option, and we are actively working to try to find a better alternative. Our research so far has shown us that this is a complicated subject, and a number of packaging options labelled as ‘eco-friendly’ may in fact offer little improvement or damage the environment in other ways. Novel solutions (e.g. potato starch wrapping) remain prohibitively expensive for the time being and can only go to landfill; many biodegradable plastics produce smaller fragments of plastic when breaking down; recycled plastic packaging is not yet available in sufficient quantities; and paper packaging has a considerably larger carbon footprint than the traditional plastic polywrap. While we fully understand the importance of this matter, we do not wish to change packaging until we have found an option that we are satisfied offers the best possible solution for both the environment and our customers. Reducing our contribution to the plastic problem is a priority, and we intend to change our packaging as soon as we have fully evaluated the options available to us.
Our manufactured products are built with sustainability in mind. We use responsibly sourced wood and netting where possible and our experienced team work hard to ensure optimal use of materials to maximise efficiency and minimise wastage. Furthermore, our products are built to stand the test of time and will last far longer than lower-quality alternatives.
Electrical devices and lighting are switched off when not in use.
Public transport is used where possible in preference to cars for business travel.
We encourage our staff to cycle to work and support them in this via the Cycle to Work Scheme which offers tax exemptions on cycles and cycle-safety equipment for our employees who use them to travel to work.
