Championing the cause of running a "green" business, the waste management company Hampshire Waste Services, which has the contract to recycle and dispose of Hampshire's household waste, has been certified as operating to the highest levels of environmental practice.

The company has been given a clean bill of health for its own environmental management systems, policy and practice by achieving recognition to the international environmental standard ISO 14001. It is the biggest operator in the waste management industry in the UK - and possibly in Europe - to have done so on the full extent of its varied operations. This includes landfill sites, composting centres, material recovery facilities, and transport services in addition to its administration head quarters.

In practising what it preaches, the waste management company is leading the way in its industry with many examples of good practice, including the involvement of staff in the process to act as "environmental champions". It has trained 14 of them and given them the role to encourage others. The response so far has been way beyond expectations.

Says Hampshire Waste Quality & Environment Manager, Phill Russell: "These are the people who on a day to day basis are helping us to achieve our objectives and targets. They are our "second conscience", giving a reminder perhaps to switch off an unnecessary light or not to let one of the lorries stand ticking over wasting fuel. Our supervisor "champion" in transport has even taken the initiative to produce a leaflet to give to all the drivers, and the support we are getting is really amazing. If you just ask people, you can unlock an awful lot of talent."

The management system - which incorporates quality management and Health and Safety in addition to the environmental management procedures - can be accessed by Hampshire Waste staff on its computer network and via a CD Rom - each one of which saves 1000 sides of paper and is a fraction of the cost to produce. Phill Russell firmly believes that: "An environmental management system is an effective and efficient way to reduce the environmental impact of operations and at the same time to reduce costs, increase efficiency and enhance the company's reputation."

The ISO 14001 recognition for Hampshire Waste is no mean achievement according to Bob Barrett from the assessment organisation DNV QA and reflects the responsible attitude of the company. He said: "The audit we conducted was rigorous and environment management was apparent throughout. Hampshire Waste, its management and particularly Phill Russell and his quality team, can regard themselves as an exemplary credit to the waste management industry."

The industry has not been slow in recognising the good work undertaken by Hampshire Waste. The Institute of Waste Management has brought out a guide on how to apply for the standard giving six examples of good practice - four of which have been shared by Hampshire Waste. They cover the use of environmental "champions" to promote environmental awareness; the methodology to determine significant environmental impact; producing an environmental policy and the review process.

An Environmental Management System provides an integrated approach to managing and monitoring a company's environmental effects and compliance with environmental regulations.

18 November 1998