Green is the new black at the Outlet 

Swindon Designer Outlet is awarded for reducing its environmental impact

 

Green is the colour of 2010 at Swindon Designer Outlet following a series of initiatives by the centre to reduce its environmental impact – earning it an ISO 14001 accreditation as a result.

 

Over the last year the outlet has reduced its waste to landfill by recycling or re-using more than 300 tonnes of waste.

 

 

This breaks down into 276 tonnes of cardboard, 22 tonnes of organic waste and 12 tonnes of plastic and coat hangers.

 

The outlet also works with Clothes Aid to send unwanted clothing to developing countries.

 

The ISO 14001 certification is awarded by the International Standards Organisation and is a benchmark for a company’s environment management system.

 

Laura Penfold, facilities manager at Swindon Designer Outlet, said: “It’s important that businesses do their bit to reduce their impact on the environment and often small changes to company procedures can make a huge difference.

 

“We’ve brought in a number of new measures at the outlet to ensure that as much waste as possible is recycled and are delighted with the impact this has had.

 

“All the retailers at the outlet have really got behind our initiative and have gone a long way in helping us to make a difference. It’s something we’re all really committed to and we’re constantly looking for new opportunities for reusing or recycling waste.”