In today's world, the carbon and environmental impact of products is a critical factor that
must be taken into consideration when making procurement decisions. As consumers become
more environmentally conscious, companies are under increasing pressure to reduce their
carbon footprint and make sustainable choices. We will delve into how the carbon and
environmental impact of a product can be assessed and minimized over the lifetime of a
contract.

Understanding the Carbon or Environmental Impact
Before discussing how the impact will be measured and reduced, it is essential to understand
what constitutes the carbon or environmental impact of a product. This impact typically
includes factors such as greenhouse gas emissions, energy consumption, water usage, waste
generation, and overall resource depletion. Assessing these factors allows organizations to
identify the areas where they can make the most significant environmental improvements.
When evaluating the carbon or environmental impact of a product, it is crucial to consider the
entire lifecycle of the product. This includes the sourcing of raw materials, manufacturing
processes, transportation, product use, and end-of-life disposal. By examining each stage of
the product lifecycle, organizations can gain a comprehensive understanding of the
environmental implications of their procurement choices.

Measuring and Reducing the Impact
One of the key steps in managing the carbon or environmental impact of a product is to
establish clear metrics for measurement. Our organisation can use tools such as life cycle
assessment (LCA) to quantify the environmental impacts of a product throughout its
lifecycle. By gathering data on factors such as energy consumption, emissions, and waste
generation, we can assess the environmental footprint of a product and identify areas for
improvement.

Once the environmental impact has been measured, our organisation can develop strategies to
reduce this impact over the lifetime of the contract. This will involve setting targets for
reducing greenhouse gas emissions, implementing energy-efficient practices, or sourcing
materials from sustainable suppliers. By actively managing the environmental impact of our
procurement choices, our organisation can not only reduce our carbon footprint but also drive
positive change in the supply chain.

Incorporating sustainability criteria into procurement decisions can have a wide range of
benefits, including cost savings, enhanced reputation, and improved risk management. By
prioritising products with lower environmental impacts, our organisations can align our
procurement practices with sustainability goals and contribute to a more sustainable future.
How are we implementing our Carbon Reduction Plan.

1/ We have recently moved in to modern, new build premises with high density insulation
embedded in the fabric of the warehouse and offices. In addition, we have new and efficient
double-glazed windows. We do not use AC units, instead opting to open doors and windows
to cool the offices during summer. Our lights all use low energy LED bulbs. All of these
features will reduce our energy consumption when heating the offices.

2/ The warehouse does not have heating or cooling installed but is well insulated thereby
enabling us to maintain an even temperature throughout the year. The lighting in the
warehouse all uses low energy LED bulbs, however these are rarely used as we have large
sky lights in the roof that allow ample lighting all year round and the lights are only ever used
during exceptionally overcast days.

3/ Our heating system is electric and regulated through thermostats that are controlled via the
business phone app. This ensures that the temperature of the offices is regulated at 20 degrees
C during the cold months of the year and the heating is only turned on when necessary to
provide comfort.

4/ We recognise the impact that our employees have on the environment by travelling to
work. To reduce the impact of this, we encourage our employees to travel sustainably
whenever possible. We have electric charging points for EV’s on site, many of our staff are
local and we support them to cycle or walk to work, where practicable, and we have
reasonable access to public transport options (train and bus).

5/ We evaluate our upstream and downstream supply chain regularly to ensure that our
suppliers are doing their upmost to promote a carbon sustainable agenda and we encourage
all of our suppliers to enhance and improve their commitment to carbon and greenhouse gas
reduction whilst promoting biodiversity. We work closely with delivery companies, such as
DPD, that are committed to increase their EV delivery fleet for delivery, making the
environment better for all.

6/ Our waste collection partner is Veolia and they state that they recycle over 90% of all the
waste product that they receive.

7/ The items that we have that have a high impact on carbon emissions are the inflatable birth
pools and liners that we import. Whilst it is not practicable, for hygiene reasons, to reuse used
pool liners we consciously decided to only hire our inflatable birth pools to the public to
ensure that the maximum possible use could be drawn from each item thereby reducing the
overall environmental impact of the goods. We are now also allowing hospitals, midwives
and birth workers to buy our birth pools so that they can use them for their clients on multiple
occasions.

What are our future plans?
1/ Investigate the feasibility with the landlord of installing solar panels on our roof to reduce
reliance on generated electricity.
2/ Engage with partners and achieve ISO 14001 certification.
3/ Investigate the feasibility of buying more recycled stationery and packaging.
4/ Review methods of reducing plastic usage.
5/ To improve our recycling rates by sorting the waste in house and separating it into
different categories. We hope that this will allow us to offer a recycling service for used birth
pool liners and hoses.

In conclusion, understanding and managing the carbon or environmental impact of products
is essential for organisations looking to make sustainable procurement choices. By measuring
and reducing the environmental footprint of our products over the lifetime of a contract, we
can minimize their impact on the planet and create value for both our business and society as
a whole.


Signed on behalf of DPEK Healthcare Ltd