The success of a sustainability initiative is reliant on uptake from all areas of the business. Hence why here at STS we have developed a collaboration project affectionally titled the ‘Green Team’. The team is comprised of a representative from all areas of the business, who are essential in implementing the sustainability initiative throughout our company operations. Members are empowered through educational sessions and the opportunity to influence everyday company practices based on their own observations. Thus far we have enacted several positive changes, examples include implementing an office waste reduction scheme, switching packaging components to those made with recycled content, and switching to a fleet of electric forklift trucks.

Below some members of the Green Team share what they have garnered from the Green Team movement at STS:

Phil (sales): the Green Team has shown me the impact we can have on sustainability in the construction industry and that the responsibility doesn’t just lie solely with the contractors that work on site. As a manufacturer we are also responsible for initiating change and aligning our sustainability policies with those alongside us in the sector…

Samantha (procurement): I have learnt that our supply chain is the worst area for emissions and from observing our data I have recognised that one of the biggest differences is how we get our products from the port to the warehouse. The train is a sustainable alternative which produces less carbon dioxide emissions, but a lot of freight forwarders are continuing to use HGV’s which are highly polluting…

Liam (warehouse): to make a change in our warehouse we need to reduce the huge amount of waste we produce. For my first task I facilitated a reduction in paper use by stopping the packing slips sent out on pallets, resulting in a 50% reduction in paper use. I am hoping to take this further with the help of our operations manager by finding an alternative to the paper delivery notes sent out to customers and ultimately reducing our paper use by 100%...

Elliot (marketing): STS stands for Specialist Tiling Supplies; however, it also stands for Sustainability Taken Seriously. This slogan precisely sums up the journey we are embarking on as a company. I am honoured to be included as a member of the Green Team to support and facilitate the implementation of a sustainability strategy. I would encourage every member of the wider STS community to increasingly consider and engage with this topic. We should all consciously think about what each one of us can change, even in our own small sphere of influence, practicing more sustainable habits and developing our understanding of the impacts caused by our daily behaviours…

Meet the Green Team