Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Rethink
A circular economy
We know that by moving away from the take-make-waste system, we can play our part in keeping products and resources in use for as long as possible, helping to cut emissions, waste, and pollution. Our ultimate aim is to reduce to a minimum the amount of waste we produce as a business.
Read on for some of the ways that NVS Group is putting that into practice.
We’re reducing our reliance on single-use items and materials and have ambitious targets to expand this further in the future.
Paper – by challenging our teams to think digital first, we’ve significantly reduced our use of paper and printed documents. Where possible, we choose to communicate with our customers through digital publications and email. If it really must be printed, then we only use recycled or FSC-certified paper.
Packaging – our tote box distribution solution reduces the amount of cardboard and plastic packaging required to safely and securely deliver essential products to your practice. If additional packaging is required, we use air-fill pockets.
Consumables - tablet-form cleaning chemicals and refills help to reduce packaging and water. We also have mains-fed water coolers that eliminate single-use plastic bottles.
Where possible we’ve found a way to reuse items, keeping them in the economy for longer and reducing the need to source new ones every time.
Tote Boxes – a reusable and sustainable distribution solution that also reduces the need for cardboard and plastic packaging.
Did you know?Our new black tote boxes are made from 100% recycled plastic and are themselves 100% recyclable.
Packaging – we reuse packaging wherever possible. Not just for your NVS deliveries, but also within our own warehouse operations. NationWide Laboratories (NWL) also reuse packaging, such as the mailers used to send in sample slides for lab diagnostics.
Laboratory equipment - NationWide Laboratories (NWL) have found a way to reuse equipment such as microscopes, by donating them to schools and educational establishments when our laboratories no longer require them.
We choose recycled materials wherever possible and have a comprehensive recycling policy to ensure we send the minimum amount of waste to landfills.
Packaging - we recycle over 320 tonnes of cardboard and plastic packaging each year:
Non-recyclable plastics - these are sent to an energy recovery facility where they’re used for electricity generation.
Office/general waste - we partner with Brown Recycling Ltd for waste management. They collect all our general and office waste and transport it to their processing plant, where it undergoes comprehensive segregation for onward processing. 94% of this waste is recycled or recovered
Batteries - we collect and recycle batteries with our compliance partner, the European Recycling Platform (ERP). You can order a recycling box and hand it to your NVS driver when it's full.
Laboratory waste - NWL recycles PPE such as vinyl, nitrile and latex gloves through the Terracycle Zero Waste programme.
Unwanted electrical items - recycled through a partnership with The Community Recycling Consortium (CRC). Money raised by CRC helps to support training and employment for people with physical disabilities and mental health issues.
Did you know?Any soft plastic or cardboard packaging that we delivered with your order can be handed back to your NVS delivery driver who will ensure it is returned to our main warehouse for recycling.Read on to find out more.
Any soft plastic and cardboard packaging waste that we delivered with your order is collected by your NVS delivery driver.
The waste is separated into cardboard, clear plastic and coloured plastic at our main warehouse.
Once separated, the waste is fed into our baler machines ready to be collected by our recycling partners.
CardboardThe cardboard is sent to a UK paper mill for recycling, where it's shredded and pulped. Foreign materials such as staples, tape and plastic are removed through centrifugal systems and magnets. The pulp is then dried and rolled ready to be used for new box board.
Clear PlasticThe clear plastic bales are shredded before being washed. Tape, labels and metal particles are removed, It's then heated up and processed into pellets, which are then supplied to plastic manufacturers to be made into bags, cable and other film products.
Coloured PlasticThe lower-grade coloured plastic is extruded into pellets. It is then used for the construction industry's black DPM (damp proof membrane) and DPC (damp proof course).
We're going back to the start of the circle and rethinking our use and choice of products.
Sustainable sourcing – we’re actively looking for products that are sustainably sourced, produced and packaged and where possible, made in the UK.
Find out more about our sustainable sourcing policy.
Digital first - what if we could find an innovative solution that meant we didn’t have to put anything physical into the economy in the first place?
That’s exactly what we’ve done with our digital first initiative, by finding ways to maximise the use of the latest technology.
Find out more about our digital first initiative.
