As a family-run business with a caring vocation, Coate Water Care has always strived to be socially responsible and that definitely extends to being environmentally conscious and trying to implement sustainable practices.
As part of that philosophy, we are celebrating Green Energy Month in April at all our nine residential care homes across Swindon, Wiltshire, the South West and the Midlands.
So what does that mean in practice?
One step is that all of our management team are now driving fully electric company cars. We really love our Teslas and Polestars; they are better for the environment and they emit fewer greenhouse gases and air pollutants than petrol or diesel cars. We also have electric car chargers at all of our sites.
Another step we have taken is to install two biomass boilers at Mockley Manor Care Home in Warwickshire, ahead of potential rollout at other homes.
Biomass boilers are a type of renewable heating system that supply buildings with hot water and heating. Unlike traditional gas and oil burners, they are fuelled by biomass fuel which creates Biomass energy.
There are also simple steps we are taking which can make an accumulative difference.
We are minimising our impact on the environment and cutting pollution and waste by using energy efficiency measures, e.g. switching off lights, using motion sensors for lights, using energy efficient light bulbs, recycled paper use and paper-free policies, and reducing the use of water.
We also work hard at minimising waste and reducing the environmental impact of our business generally, for example, buying locally to cut fuel costs.
Sourcing local food is a win-win, it’s good for the residents of our homes who get fresh, healthy food options and it’s good for the environment.
We are also looking at installing solar panels and even generating heat source energy from our car parks.
As part of our commitment to going green we now have a formal environmental charter that is in place at all our care homes. Here it is:
At Coate Water Care, we apply green thinking to every action and every decision to benefit our residents, our community and our employees. We are committed to making a positive impact on the environment by becoming adept at developing and implementing effective green practices and procedures as a rule, not as an exception. We are dedicated to taking the following actions to achieve our green vision:
– Measurably reduce our company’s carbon footprint
– Reduce the amount of waste our company produces
– Increase our green knowledge
“Many major companies lead the way in environmental practices and there is no reason why SMEs like Coate Water Care cannot follow suit,” says Jamie Smith, Projects & Development Director at Coate Water Care.
“We take our inspiration from companies like Disney that uses zero net direct greenhouse gas emission policies within all its facilities, Nike that increasingly uses environmentally preferred materials like recycled polyester, or Ford that uses sustainable fabrics in its vehicles.”
He concludes: “Coate Water Care has always been about ‘doing the right thing’ and there is no reason we can’t be care industry leaders in green measures, too.”
To find out more about any of Coate Water Care’s nine residential care homes, about the way we care for people living with dementia or to book a viewing please contact our friendly Welcome Team on 01793 821200.
