Environmental Policy
Our Commitment
At Vac-Ex we are committed to reducing the impact our vacuum excavation units and premises have on the environment.
We operate our environmental management system in accordance with BS EN ISO 14001:2015 and continually strive to improve the effectiveness of our systems. We regularly review our environmental objectives and ensure our staff are fully compliant with this policy. View the section below to see the steps that we have taken so far.
Our Premises
Vac-Ex’s environmental commitment is no different within our premises, where we aim for zero environmental non-conformances. Our premises are equipped with solar panels and use motion activated LED lighting throughout. We also recycle all of our office paper.
On-site
Vac-Ex actively monitors our waste streams and Co2 emissions, which we review every year. As part of our ongoing commitment we annually review skip usage and only use licensed waste contractors in order to reduce waste going to landfill.
All of our employees undergo Environmental Awareness Training and Toolbox Talks to maintain our standards. Our staff are trained in the use of spill kits and drip trays and each of our sites are equipped with eco-friendly spill kit stations.
Renewable Energy
Our goal is to reduce our Co2 emissions as much as possible, which is why we are switching to renewable fuel sources.
Biomass
We use Biomass Wood Pellets at our office premises, which is considered to be renewable. It is made from organic materials which are Carbon-Neutral. This means that whilst carbon dioxide is released when the materials are burning in a biomass boiler, it is only the same amount that they have absorbed during its growth; thus no new carbon is emitted.
Biofuels
HVO fuel is a synthetic paraffinic fuel that’s stable, renewable and sustainable making it a great diesel alternative. It is made from 100% renewable raw materials, such as waste fats and vegetable oils, resulting in a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of up to 90% alongside reducing NOx, PM and CO emissions. HVO fuel is a drop-in alternative to fossil diesel, meeting EN 15940 standards and Fuel Quality Directive 2009/30/EC Annex II.
Biofuels offer a fast and simple step towards “net zero” with no CAPEX requirement. The feedstocks used to manufacture Crown HVO are drawn from 100% waste sources which have bypassed damage to the environment, natural ecosystem and the drive for global deforestation. For every 1,000 litres of diesel burned, you will produce 3.6 tonnes of greenhouse gas CO2, compared to just 0.195 tonnes of greenhouse gas CO2 for every 1,000 litres of HVO burned.
Our Vehicles
Our company vehicles have stop-start systems which automatically shuts down and restarts the internal combustion engine to reduce the amount of time the engine spends idling, thereby reducing fuel consumption and emissions. Start-stop technology may become more common with more stringent government fuel economy and emissions regulations. For non-electric vehicles fuel economy gains from this technology are typically in the range of 3-10 percent, potentially as high as 12 percent.
Vac-Ex uses plug-in hybrid electric vehicles for our company cars to further promote a greener lifestyle, reducing our emissions whilst also saving on fuel. When it comes to new vacuum excavation units and vehicles we recycle our old units, carefully select new ones with low CO2 emissions and even manufacture smaller units which are battery powered. All of these steps work towards our goal of reducing our emissions through logistical planning.
