Mission statement
Premier Polytunnels recognises that the environment is central to our business, our customers and the communities we support. By enabling people to grow their own food, our products play a practical role in improving resilience to climate change and strengthening food security.
We are committed to maximising this positive impact and to managing our negative environmental impacts responsibly, complying with all relevant legal requirements and continually improving our environmental performance. We aim to embed environmental considerations into how we operate, the products we supply and the decisions we make across the business.
We will also seek to support and influence our customers, suppliers and staff to make more sustainable choices.
Objectives and priority actions
1. Communication and influence
We will use our position to promote positive environmental outcomes by:
Communicating our environmental approach clearly to customers and stakeholders.
Linking our products to wider issues such as climate change, resilience and food security.
Encouraging customers to adopt more sustainable behaviours, including reuse, repair and local food growing.
Highlighting and building on the positive impact already associated with our products and operations.
2. Energy use and emissions
We will reduce emissions associated with energy use by:
Managing energy use efficiently across our site and operations.
Improving the performance of buildings, lighting and equipment over time.
Exploring opportunities for renewable energy and lower carbon supply.
Considering energy performance when maintaining or upgrading machinery and infrastructure.
3. Materials, waste and resource use
We will minimise waste and make the best use of resources by:
Applying the waste hierarchy, prioritising reduction, reuse and recycling.
Improving how key waste streams are managed, including wood, metals and packaging.
Reducing reliance on single-use materials and increasing use of reused or recycled inputs.
Identifying opportunities to reduce material use and improve efficiency in day-to-day operations.
4. Products and supply chains
We will manage the environmental impact of our products and suppliers by:
Working with key suppliers to understand and improve environmental performance.
Considering environmental factors in sourcing decisions and due diligence.
Supporting the use of responsible and certified materials.
Promoting durability, reuse and long product life as a core part of our offering.
5. Packaging and distribution
We will reduce the impact of packaging and transport by:
Minimising packaging while ensuring products are protected.
Prioritising reuse and recycled content in packaging materials.
Encouraging customers to reuse packaging after delivery.
Improving the environmental performance of logistics and delivery where possible.
6. Travel and operations
We will reduce emissions from travel and operational activities by:
Improving the efficiency of transport and delivery routes.
Encouraging lower carbon commuting and travel options.
Reviewing opportunities to transition to lower emission vehicles over time.
Considering environmental impacts in wider operational decisions, including services and suppliers.
Governance and engagement
We have developed a detailed action plan to ensure delivery of the objectives and targets above. Responsibility for each action within that action plan has been assigned to an appropriate person. Timescales for delivering each action have also been assigned and these will be kept under review.
We are committed to reviewing and updating progress against our action plan on a quarterly basis.
All staff will be made aware of our environmental objectives, targets and actions, as well as any related policies or procedures. We will also seek to routinely identify any training needed to facilitate delivery of this policy and to meet them wherever this is feasible.
Our Environmental Management System
This environmental policy and our environmental action plan, alongside any other related policies, procedures and monitoring comprise our Environmental Management System (EMS). Our EMS is certified by Green Business. Our certification is maintained through an annual review of our action plan carried out independently by Green Business.
We will update this policy at least annually in consultation with staff and other stakeholders where necessary.