ENVIRONMENT
While the environmental impact associated with the group’s operations is relatively low, the group is committed to improving its energy efficiency and reducing its carbon footprint. Initiatives to reduce the group’s environmental impact include:
- recycling the group’s paper waste, used cardboard cartons and canteen waste,
- monitoring the building management system at head office of mechanical and electrical equipment such as air conditioning, lighting, power and security systems with the aim of conserving energy;
- limiting energy usage in the air-conditioning system with an automatic load shedding facility,
- controlling lighting clusters with movement sensors using energy-efficient fluorescent lamps, and
- minimising heat absorbtion with tinted windows, conserving power with LCD computer screens, controlling hot water use and reducing water volume flow with timer switches.
HomeChoice’s progress in limiting its environmental impact was recognised in March 2011 at the Business Process enabling SA (BPeSA) awards where the group received a gold regional and silver national award.
In order to assess the group’s carbon inventory more thoroughly and set a baseline from which to monitor future performance, the group commissioned an independent Greenhouse Gas Inventory (“carbon footprint”) assessment for the 2011 financial year. This assessment provides the benchmark from which to assess future initiatives to reduce our impact on the environment.