Environmental management and quality system - Essay Example

Environmental Management and Quality System: Slingsby Environmental Management and Quality System: Slingsby Slingsby is a Baildon based industrial and commercial equipment supplier. The company has won international acclaim for its efforts in the area of environmental protection. This is evident from the number of awards and recognitions the company has got in this area. To illustrate, it has won the Business in the Community’s Yorkshire and Humber Long Term Environmental Improvement Award. Earlier the company had won the Carbon Reduction Award of BITC too (Express Press Release Forum).

Its environmental protection measures have been awarded by the Better Business Environment Forum in Bradford recently. Some such efforts towards environmental protection made by the company are high quality insulation throughout the company premises, de-stratification fans that helps re-circulate high level warm air and aluminum framed double glazed window units. In addition, the company has recycling stations throughout the company premises. This helps them recycle nearly five tonnes of plastic every year.

As a result of these steps, the company has reduced the amount of waste it sends to landfill sites by 53% between 2006 and 2007. The recycling projects recycle cardboard, plastic cups, paper, metal, wood and plastics (Press Exposure). The company has its own environmental policy that states that the company will try to meet and exceed the various environmental protection legislations by introducing minimisation, reuse, and recycling. For its excellent environmental management system, the company has won ISO14001:2004 certification.

Also, following the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive guidelines, the company makes a contribution to the Product Recycling Fund. Thus, the environmental protection measures by Slingsby include making its manufacturing, warehousing and distributing centers effective through repairs and energy efficient systems, and improving office environment through the installation of ECA approved products. Also, there is waste management system that considerably reduces the disposal of wastes at landfill sites.

In order to see that these measures are properly taken, there are meter reading, invoices, and other internal and external measures. A look into the concept of Quality Management proves that the purpose is to consistently meet or exceed customer requirements through management practices which will result in long term success through customer satisfaction. The company has already won ISO9001 that is the result of improvement of indirect operation by standardization. Admittedly, quality management requires both improvement in total quality and improvement in customer service.

In both the cases, the environmental-friendly measures taken by the company are of importance. For example, the recycling of materials results in reduced landfill tax. This saving can be used to reduce the price of the products. Also, recycling used things results in reduced production costs and reduced use of new raw materials. The money saved in this way can also be used to ensure better customer satisfaction. Yet another important benefit is the image of the company and its products. Admittedly, customers are getting more and more green-conscious in nature.

So, the environmental protection measures taken by the company will repay in the form of improved customer satisfaction. Thus, the environmental management and quality systems are interlinked. In total, the benefits appear in the form of financial benefit, employee motivation, better company image, and thus, long term success. ReferencesExpress Press Release Forum. Award Win Highlights Slingsbys Green Credentials. Retrieved from http://www.pressreleaseforum.com/viewtopic.php?p=146111&sid=2312397a502d08a1d2e73b0bda905d92Press Exposure.

Slingsby awarded by Better Business Environmental Forum. Retrieved from http://pressexposure.com/Slingsby_Awarded_by_Better_Business_Environmental_Forum-28077.html