Using fewer resources 

At MITIE we're aware of the impact that our business operations may have on the natural environment and endeavour to minimise and mitigate such effects where possible by utilising environmentally benign materials and sustainable practices.

Respectful of the natural resources given to us to by the planet on which we live, we make every effort to promote best practice with all our stakeholders as we strive to achieve our environmental targets.

As our business continues to grow and we go all-out to provide world-class services for our clients, we encounter more demanding environmental challenges. This is a key priority for us and we have implemented many initiatives to improve our own environmental performance, while actively striving to influence that of our clients and suppliers also.

We believe in taking our own medicine and to ensure we do this throughout our own office portfolio we have established a network of more than 100 MITIE Green Stars who are passionate volunteers providing us with energy, waste and water data, implementing good sustainable practices among their colleagues and highlighting any concerns that require the attention of our technical experts as soon as they happen.

As an organisation that self-delivers the vast majority of its services, we operate a large fleet of vehicles contributing more than 90% of our carbon emissions. Hence a key focus is to manage our use of fuel efficiently by using low emission, fuel efficient vehicles and a low cost fuel purchasing policy. We’re also actively looking at ways of offering alternatives to car travel by encouraging our people to adopt e-communication routes wherever possible as well as increasing well-being through our cycle to work scheme and encouraging public transport alternatives.

In our efforts to manage our office estate efficiently we have established a robust model for measuring and monitoring our consumption of gas, electricity and water and made significant improvements in the quality of our Management Information enabling strategic decisions to be made about the offices we occupy.

When it comes to waste we are currently investigating the sources of waste as well as opportunities for recycling; working with our suppliers, businesses, in-house departments and people to eliminate wastage by engaging in reduction and reuse practices wherever possible. 

Practising what we preach

Own environmental improvement targets:

• 10% fleet fuel reduction by 2013 with telematic tracker systems installed in 60% of our commercial fleet by 2012;
• Attain 15% energy reduction across our office estate by 2013;
• Achieve 80% recycling rate by 2013.

What is our objective?

Making sure our people understand MITIE’s environmental impact in terms of natural resource use and how important the reduction of this is – both from our own internal perspective and from that of our external stakeholders, as well as the role they can play in improving it?

How will achieve this?

1. Incentivise travel alternatives and transport options through the introduction of a travel plan and optimisation of a sustainable fleet including; further reductions in our average car fleet emissions to 135g CO2/km via continued procurement of ultra-low, zero emission and hybrid vehicles while increasing vehicle tracking ability to 60% of the commercial fleet;
2. Decrease the quantity of estimated gas, electricity, water and waste data across our principle office buildings by 50% and provide strategic, qualitative information to increase employee engagement in 2012 to support delivery of 15% office energy reduction by 2013;
3. Reach 80% recycling across our office estate by 2013, including a reduction in waste inputs from the supply chain by engaging with suppliers to reduce packaging waste and introduce paperless communication where possible.

To learn more about our commitment to minimising the use of natural resources please review http://sustainability2011.mitie.com/using-fewer-resources.aspx.

You can also access MITIE’s full environmental report 2011 regarding our consumption of energy, water, waste and transport fuel here http://sustainability2011.mitie.com/media/13223/mitie%20environmental%20report%20final%20201011.pdf.