Recycling and Sustainability at Ability Superstore

Posted by Mike Phipps on November 10, 2021

With the current COP26 climate change conference taking place, many of us are looking at ways to reduce our own impact on the environment and live in a more sustainable way, but what does that actually mean and what can we do to play a part in this global challenge? 

Sustainability is defined by Oxford Languages as, ‘avoidance of the depletion of natural resources in order to maintain an ecological balance’.

Put simply, sustainability means using fewer resources to meet our needs in order to prevent a shortfall, minimise our impact on the environment and to conserve resources for future generations.

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Recycling is one hugely important part of sustainability, as it preserves natural resources and reduces greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change.

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The ‘3Rs’ of Recycling are – Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. This means reducing the amount of waste we produce, reusing items rather than simply replacing them, and recycling items when we’ve finally finished with them.

Here at Ability Superstore, we’re passionate about environmental issues and we’re always looking for ways to minimise the impact of our own business on the environment, which is why we’ve made recycling and sustainability a key part of how we work.

Re-use Packaging

It may be a legacy of lockdown life, or just the convenience it offers, but as consumers, we now purchase more and more items online. According to the Office of National Statistics, in 2020, over 87% of people in the UK reported having made an online purchase.

These items all require adequate packaging in order to protect the item ordered to ensure that it reaches us safely. This in itself presents a problem, as more and more packaging, both cardboard and plastic, is used and then discarded, resulting in a large increase in packaging waste.

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Some of this packaging, for example, cardboard boxes, can be recycled after use, which is great news for the environment, as it reduces the need for raw materials. However, despite being less energy-intensive overall, the recycling process still requires fossil fuel use and contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. An example of this is the need for more frequent bin collections, or for additional trucks to transport waste to recycling facilities.

An even more eco-friendly alternative to recycling is to re-use packaging wherever possible and that’s what we do here at Ability Superstore. Every order sent out from Ability Superstore is packaged in a box that has been previously used and recycled.

When you place an order with us, our warehouse team will carefully package your item/s and select an appropriate box from a range of previously used boxes to ensure that your order reaches you promptly and in great condition.

Re-using packaging in this way not only means that we can keep our postage and packaging fees lower for our customers, but long term, it also reduces the amount of packaging in circulation that will eventually require recycling. By choosing to re-use packaging, we’re reducing the amount of new packaging in production and doing a little thing to help conserve the planet’s natural resources.

Not many of our customers will realise that we recycle packaging in this way, which is why we have started to use a specially designed sticker on all of our orders to let customers know the part they’re playing in helping the environment, by choosing to buy from Ability Superstore.

The labels placed on the outside of the boxes are printed on recycled paper using environmentally friendly inks.

 Ability Superstore Re-use Rainwater

 

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Though it may not always feel like it if you live here in the rain filled north of England, water is becoming a scarce natural resource globally. A combination of climate change and increased demand from the growing population means that by 2030, the demand for water will outstrip supply, according to a 2016 report from the International Resource Panel.

One way that we can all help to conserve water is to reduce our personal use of mains water by harvesting and re-using rainwater instead. Here at Ability Superstore we collect over three quarters of the rainfall from our warehouse roof using IBCs (Intermediate Bulk Containers). Here at Ability Superstore, we have ten IBCs positioned in and around our head office and warehouse.

Photo by Possessed Photography on Unsplash

At Ability Superstore, our collected rainwater is mainly used to flush the staff toilets.

Reducing Our Impact on the Environment

Ability Superstore is passionate about making daily life easier for people living with limited mobility and long-term health conditions. Our aim is to provide high-quality and affordable mobility aids and daily living aids that make a real difference to people’s lives.

We believe we can do this just as effectively whilst trying to also reduce our impact on the environment. Re-using resources, such as cardboard packaging and fallen rainwater, allows us to work in a more eco-friendly and sustainable way, while still delivering the same great service to our customers.

All businesses have their part to play in recycling and sustainability, and here at Ability Superstore, we’re proud to be doing our bit towards this massive global goal.

Get In Touch

For more information about any of our mobility aid products, drop us a line at  heretohelp@abilitysuperstore.com or you can call us for free on 0800 255 0498. Or, if you prefer, you can fill in our online Contact Form and a member of our friendly customer services team will get back to you as soon as possible.