Our Carbon Story
Sustainability has been our cornerstone at QPSL for many years and we are committed to reducing our greenhouse gas emissions in accordance with the Paris Agreement, with the ultimate aim of becoming carbon neutral by 2050.
At QPSL we recognise our processes and products have an impact on the environment, and we are committed to improving our performance through carbon reduction targets by 2035 / 2050.
As a manufacturer we convert raw materials utilising energy and manpower and transport finished goods to our customers throughout the UK and world-wide. The plastic and metal raw materials we purchase have one of the highest carbon footprints and 92% of our carbon footprint comes from these raw materials (Scope 3 emissions).
At QPSL we aim to maintain ongoing engagement with experts, climate NGOs, employees, other key stakeholders and adopt best practice to continue our carbon reduction journey through learning and adapting to a changing global context in order to minimise our footprint and employ the most effective approaches available. We recognise that net zero strategies will evolve with scientific consensus and technological advances, and we intend to evolve with it as the information and guidance develops.
Processing plastic (PVC) and Aluminium has a big impact on the CO2 emissions of our planet and with this in mind we invested in creating and implementing an Environmental Management System which was accredited under ISO 14001 in 2013.
Today, CO2 emission is structured in 3 Scopes. Each Scope looks at the activities of a company, measures those in volume and, using official gov.uk conversion, factors the CO2 emissions of a company. (This index is annually updated and published by the government: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/greenhouse-gas-reporting-conversion-factors-2023)
The 3 Scopes
- Scope 1 — This covers the Green House Gas (GHG) emissions that a company makes directly — for example while running its boilers and vehicles.
- Scope 2 — These are the emissions a company makes indirectly – like when the electricity or energy it buys for heating and cooling buildings is being produced on its behalf.
- Scope 3 — This category includes all the emissions not directly associated with the company itself, but that the organisation is indirectly responsible for, up and down its value chain. This covers many things, from buying raw material from its suppliers to process and converting into finished products to the distribution of the finished products to the end user and to the customers that uses them. Scope 3 is nearly always the big one in CO2 emissions
Our achievements to date in reducing Scope 1 and 2 CO2 emissions are as follows:
- Refurbished our roof to reduce heat loss.
- Installed solar panels on our roof which generates 35% of our electricity requirements.
- Installed LED lights throughout the building.
- Improved waste recycling on site and reduced disposed waste from our production processes to under 1%.
- Replaced production machinery with much more energy efficient machinery.
- Installed energy monitoring equipment.
- Improved the energy performance certificate (EPC) rating for the factory and office building from F to C.
- Reduced the electricity costs of producing 1 tonne of PVC by 27% between 2014 and 2022.
- Migrated our motor car fleet to electric and installing a vehicle charger on site.
- Reduced face to face meetings by increasing virtual meetings.
At QPSL we are proud of our clean reputation and have created a statement to put hard figures towards the targets of bringing Scope 1 and 2 emissions as close to zero as possible by 2035. Whether we can attain true carbon neutrality by this time will depend on technological developments for the transportation of good
| Scope | Objective | Target 2025 | Target 2035 | Actions |
| 1 | Move to low carbon logistics. | 100% zero carbon light cars. | 50% zero carbon heavy goods vehicles and be carbon neutral on Scope 1 emissions by 2050. | Move all lease cars to electric vehicles and investigate electric options for heavy good vehicles as soon as possible when the technology exists. |
| 2 | Operate an efficient production site, powered by renewable energy. | Utilise the full roof for a PV system, maximising self-generated solar energy.
Optimise energy requirement in all areas. | Only purchase electricity from truly 100% renewable sources.
Increase the potential of self-generated energy, and consequently be carbon neutral on Scope 2 emissions. | On renewal of energy contract in June 2023, push for 100% green energy supply if financially feasible. Continue replacing ageing machinery with more energy efficient models. |
Our ongoing activities to impact Scope 3 which are already being implemented are as follows:
- Monitored water treatment and minimised discharge.
- Adjustment of overall building temperature via central energy management.
- Research into reducing the energy used in our IT server room by moving towards fully virtual off-site servers.
- Segregated waste to maximise recycling opportunities and possibly generate income.
- Innovate and re-design products and services to minimise their emissions and waste.
- Full waste segregation on QPSL site. Responsible sourcing of materials or services to ensure they are as green as possible.
- Reduce, repair, reuse, recycle or donate wherever possible.
- Reducing printing and paper use, embracing a paper free office and production process across the site.
- Minimising waste from our products, packaging, and any food from the canteen.
- Agreed delivery schedule with customers and suppliers to reduce the number of deliveries.
- Employees offered charging for their e-bikes to encourage commuting by bike.
- Cycle to work schemes made available for all employees.
- Employee business travel reviewed and planned with emissions in mind, with a focus on public transport and avoiding flights.
Under scope 3, we have also committed resources and developed plans to ensure our activities in the future have a direct impact.
| Scope | Objective | Target 2025 | Target 2035 | Actions |
| 3 | Source sustainably and locally. | Support and engage with suppliers in their net zero and carbon neutral ambitions. | Prioritise companies with a clear net zero or carbon neutral statement. | Increase circular transport packaging with suppliers and customers. Prioritise delivery options with low carbon impact. |
| 3 | Reduce process waste to zero from current level of under 1%. Reduce general waste as much as possible. |
General waste reduction by 25%. | Process waste on 0%.
General waste reduction by 50%. | Find recycle streams for contaminated process waste. Invest into own reprocessing equipment or find new partners to segregate the material from general waste. Engage in more circular schemes with suppliers and customers. |
| 3 | Help our employees and customers live low carbon lifestyles. | Offer financial support and encouragement for public or alternative transports. Educate on low carbon lifestyle and raise awareness for global responsibility. | ||
Working Towards a Carbon Neutral Future
We have more plans to reduce emissions and push for further environmental improvements. In the next decade the following actions are part of our corporate strategy with allocated budget and resources:
- Boiler replacement.
- Investigating heat exchange systems to minimise dependencies on gas heating for the offices.
- Electricity monitoring and effective use of the collected data.
- Cooperation with suppliers to optimise delivery schedules.
- Office air conditioning update.
- Rainwater harvesting.
- Research into alternative materials to PVC.
- Investment into more circular packaging systems.
These initiatives will help us move QPSL towards a low carbon future. As the plans show, our roadmap is an ongoing process. We aim to keep ahead of legislation, and to continually assess our goals and ambitions in carbon emission reduction. This means keeping ourselves informed with regard to ground breaking technologies and developing efficiencies, which can be utilised in our aims for carbon neutrality over the coming years
(This text was reviewed and updated in June 2024.)