Sustainability
We believe it is our ethical duty to ensure our operations do not negatively impact upon future generations. Therefore the concept of sustainability is absolutely key to successfully managing our business. Our approach uses a robust system of formalised risk management allied to a strategy to continuously improve our productivity and performance, taking action to minimise any negative economic, social and environmental impacts of our business.
1. Living Within Environmental Limits:
Amalga's Environmental Management System was certified to the ISO 14001 standard in 2002. Further to running internal operations as efficiently and sustainably as possible, Amalga's services greatly reduce the waste traditionally produced on construction sites. This is achieved by ensuring:
- All site waste materials are segregated and recycled wherever possible
- New materials are stored out of harm's way until the suppliers require them on a Just in Time basis
- Vehicle movements are minimised through aggregation, consolidation and planning
- New materials are protected against theft thereby reducing the total volume of materials required on a project
- Finished surfaces are protected so as to avoid damage and the need for replacement
- Sourcing of new materials from environmentally sustainable sources. For example, all timber procured is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council and a tracker is maintained to log usage
2. Ensuring a Strong, Healthy and Just Society:
Amalga not only seeks to minimise negative effects upon society, but actively takes measures to enhance local communities. An example of this is Amalga's involvement in the Mace Social Inclusion Programme (SIP). This offers training and employment opportunities to those with barriers to employment in the diverse local community and is sponsored by BAA, Mace and Building London Creating Futures. A publicly available SIP scheme newsletter, published in October 2007, illustrates our achievements:
"Amalga is a site logistics company that really understands the programme's value having employed 37 beneficiaries - more than any other supplier company currently on site. According to Ted, logistics is a good place for low skilled beneficiaries to start as it provides maximum exposure to site." Ted Hibbert, Work Placement Development Manager, SIP, BAA
Amalga also operates a comprehensive Training programme for skills and Health & Safety awareness. We continually reassess the skills of our staff, ensuring that training is provided to enable them to perform both now and into the future.
3. Achieving a Sustainable Economy:
Amalga's business model and strategy believes it is always preferable to develop and sustain long term relationships with customers and suppliers over maximising short term profitability. This is embodied in our commitment to operating within the more enlightened environment of construction partnering arrangements.
To maintain good faith and nurture long term sustainable relationships with its suppliers, Amalga is a member of the government supported Better Payment Practice campaign. As a matter of principle, Amalga guarantees to pay all suppliers within a standard 30 day payment regime by bank direct credit. This policy creates long term mutually beneficial relationships with a range of key suppliers for a reliable and cost effective service. These benefits are directly relayed back to Amalga's customers.
