We're Proud To Be A Carbon-Neutral Company
Here at AA Salt Services, we are getting even more serious about our impact on the environment.
We have always used white salt conforming to BS3247 standards, because it is kinder to the environment and your work environment.
But now we are getting serious about every aspect of our business, from plastic bag usage for salt carriage, to water usage for washing down the lorries after a busy night out gritting.
Part of this change has led us to move premises helping to improve efficiencies by having all of our operations under one roof.
We are buying newer vehicles (Euro6), we double print on all appropriate office paper, we also support our employees by educating them about what is recyclable and what is not.
We are working together to continuously improve and create a cleaner, more efficient business by reviewing our processes with waste reduction at the forefront.
We are conscious that there is a finite limit to the world's natural resources, a contributing factor to why we use white marine harvested salt.
Integral to our business is the salt we use.
This is marine harvested white salt which is to BS3247 standard.
This product is produced from dehydrated salt water in the Mediterranean.
We are looking into every aspect of our business, driving for a reduction in CO2 which has led us to buy newer vehicles every year (Euro 6); 50% of our fleet is now a lower emissions vehicle.
The introduction of the Big Change Job Watch app (our job scheduling system), is reducing drivers’ journeys by up to 50miles a shift thanks to the improved route planning and vehicle optimisation.
This will help us achieve our goal of carbon positive status by reducing our vehicle carbon emissions by 10.5%pa.
We will offset the remainder with carbon sequestering projects locally in the West Midlands and in Africa and South America.
We are working together with our supply chain partners to continuously improve and create a cleaner, more efficient business.
We are conscious that there is a finite limit to the world's natural resources and are proud to be working towards being carbon positive.
Focusing on waste reduction has led us to question our historical operating practises and resulted in more improvements; from reducing plastic bags used for salt carriage, to water usage, to harvesting rainwater for washing down the lorries, we are making an effort to reduce the impact we have on the planet.
We can offset the currently unavoidable CO2 we produce from diesel the vehicles use.
We are using the carbon offsetting approach adopted by Carbon Footprint.
Through them we plant trees in the West Midlands and buddy up with supporting projects in the Amazon.
We also offset half our CO2 produced with Ripple Africa. This charity supports communities in Malawi, one of Africa’s poorest countries, by helping them build fuel-efficient cookstoves.
This has the wonderful effect of giving them safer, healthier cooking environments and reduces the wood needed, so protecting their own forests as well as helping liberate women in these communities, as much less time is needed in the wood collection.
Our future plans include calculating the CO2 we have produced since 2002 and off-setting this as well.
What do we do? Changes that make a difference
New Premises
Office and operating yard under one roof improve operations efficiency and driver communications cutting travel time down by 2 hours a day.
Technology
Introduction of Big Change Job Watch App improved driving efficiencies by 50%, using a paperless app.
Cutting Fuel Emissions
50% of the lorry and 4×4 fleet Ultra-low emissions-compliant – Euro 6 standard
Cut Down On Single-Use Plastic
Recycling containers used to provide salt bin carriage on lorries to cut down on salt being carried in plastic bags
Re-use Where Unavoidable
Where using plastic bags is totally unavoidable they are washed out and recycled. Salt brine from washing out is also collected for brine spraying, adding a new product line to our services. Plastic bag usage down 80%
Environmentally Safe Products
White de-icing salt is BS3247 compliant.
Minimise Plastic Usage
Specialist anti-corrosion salt (for metal surface mezzanine car parks, fire escapes and train stations) now bought in bulk bag further reducing this plastic bag usage by 100%.
Eliminate Paper Based Processes
Moved accounting processes to cloud-based product improved administrative time.
No Unnecessary Office Attendance
Use of VoIP telephone system that can be used in the field or at home, allowing us to run the business from anywhere.