Samara Lettings is devoted to improving it’s planet-friendly business practices. How we place our impact on the community and our environment is a critical measure of our success.
With the seriousness of the current climate crisis, it is important that we continue to develop our high standards for environmental friendliness. There are many ethical and practical reasons we are committed to sustainable practices, but the most important one is the reality that we only have one planet, and we all share it.
All businesses have an impact on the planet, and that impact affects all of us. It is our strong belief that in the end, our eco-friendly practices will help to reduce our costs by reducing energy consumption, increasing energy efficiency and saving on utility costs. Becoming an eco-friendly business will not only bring a host of positive benefits in the immediate, but reach out far into the future.
Getting rid of paper contracts is hands-down one of the best moves we’ve made towards our eco-friendly journey. Paper uses large amounts of raw wood, and even the recycled version still requires numerous chemicals and fresh water in the production process. Going digital not only reduces the amount of paper we use, but also reduces storage materials and resources to occupy space.
Reusing furniture is a great way for us to internally develop sustainable products. If we extend the lifetime of our products, less of our planets resources are being used and we contribute less towards landfill waste. Product sustainability is central to our practices, beginning from sourcing right through to the end of a product’s life cycle. Approximately 85% of our products and materials are reused year after year, and by 2024 we are hoping to reach above 90%.
In recent years we have worked closely with St Georges Crypt, a local charity that offer care, compassion and hope to many homeless and vulnerable people. We donate much of our surplus furniture to the charity which not only supports the charity but also allows us to continue maintaining our recycling programme.
Around 20 million mattresses are thrown into landfills every year and just one mattress can take up 40 cubic feet of space. Besides space, mattresses that make their way to landfills also present a host of other issues because they are difficult to compact. Landfill workers often have to use special equipment to break them down and the process is hard on equipment because the springs inside the mattress can protrude and cause damage to expensive equipment. Breaking down these mattresses also creates a larger carbon footprint due to the energy required to get them ready for the landfill.
In recent years, we set targets to significantly reduce the number of mattresses we dispose. Over the last five years, we have made many changes including the supply of eco-friendly recyclable impenetrable mattress covers. By doing this, we help to eliminate the risk of soiling and extend the product’s life. Our goal is to reduce mattress waste by 95% by 2024.
Recycling appliances could divert over 185,000 tonnes of waste from UK landfills. All our appliances are maintained and utilised until they reach the end of their lifespan. If an appliance is irreparable, we arrange for its collection or drop off to a local recycling centre, where hazardous chemicals are safely removed, and each item is stripped down to extract the recyclable materials.
As one of the biggest contributors to our emissions, gas is no longer a sustainable choice for central heating. A good alternative is electric, not only with our cars but with heating too, as it’s the more environmentally conscious choice. There are a number of benefits when it comes to switching from gas to electric heating with the most obvious being energy efficiency. As we source more green energy from renewables, electric is becoming much better for the environment than gas, plus it is also safer to use as there is no risk of any carbon monoxide leaks. For this reason, electric heating has no need for annual checks and callouts which will ultimately save money in the long run.
By 2025, all our gas boilers that have come to the end of their life will be replaced with electric heating. This eco-friendly upgrade will not only prevent harming the environment, but we can actually yield a net positive impact.
Being green is a way of showing that the future of our planet also matters to you. If we want a future with clean air, fresh water and thriving wildlife, it's more important than ever for all of us to do our part to protect our planet's health.
As we continue to redefine our role in addressing climate change and working towards our net zero transition, we’re excited to join the change in becoming cleaner and greener!
