Arrow County Supplies is thrilled to announce that we have won the Shropshire Chamber Business Eco Award 2024! This prestigious award recognises our commitment to sustainability and eco-friendly practices, ranking Arrow as the top-performing sustainable business in the region.
Selected from a field of four eco-business finalists, this award reflects our dedication to reducing environmental impact, and makes Arrow the go-to choice for Members looking to improve the sustainability of their cleaning operations.
Tackling industry challenges
The cleaning industry is one of the more challenging sectors to go green, given its traditional reliance on harsh chemicals and single-use products. However, our ‘For Humanity’ sustainability strategy is leading the way to a more eco-conscious future in cleaning, focusing on three pillars: Planet, People and Community (see https://arrowcounty.com/operating-for-humanity for more information).
Promoting sustainable products
In 2021, we launched our Greenleaf product sustainability programme to make it easier for customers to choose eco-friendly products. Products marked with the ‘Greenleaf’ symbol offer the same high-quality while being better for the environment. This initiative has been incredibly successful, boosting sales of our eco-friendly products by 42%, with 62% of our annual turnover now coming from sustainable products.
Additionally, through our exclusive Green Care® Professional range (the first Cradle to Cradle® Platinum certified chemical range launched in UK markets – only available at Arrow), we help our customers save more than 1,751 kg carbon dioxide,211 kg plastic and 558 kg crude oil every year – helping Members combat the typically environmentally-damaging impacts of cleaning chemicals whilst improve overall efficiency through innovative, integrated dosing systems.
On track to Net Zero
We’re committed to becoming a Net Zero business, and are proud members of the West Midlands Net Zero pledge. Since our baseline year, we’ve made significant progress, reducing building emissions by 33.86% and fleet emissions by 9% (equivalent to 40,626 kg CO2 annually) – reducing our overall emissions intensity by 4.86% per employee.
Our investments in energy-efficient lighting, renewable energy, and the ongoing transition to a zero-emission fleet help us continually reduce our carbon footprint. We maintain a clear roadmap to Net Zero, focusing on reducing emissions through smart routing plans, developing a zero-emission fleet (with 25% company vehicles now LEV/ZEVs), and developing local delivery infrastructures that ensure our environmental impact is minimised.
Additionally, we manage a wide range of tailored sustainability programmes to deliver wider community benefit to our customers, including regular stock donations, ‘Feed A Family’ foodbank campaign, our ‘Careers Advantage’ graduate support and mentorship programmes, (including work placements and apprenticeships), regular fundraising events and local volunteering work, “giving back” over £385,000 in the last 12 months.
“Receiving the Shropshire Eco Business Award 2024 is a testament to our ongoing efforts and dedication to sustainability,” commented Bruce Blackledge, Managing Director at Arrow County Supplies. “It reflects our commitment to operating responsibly and making a positive impact on the environment, our community, and our industry.”
For more details on our sustainability efforts, visit https://arrowcounty.com/operating-for-humanity.
