APL Express environment statement
APL operations
- All members of our team are involved in training, awareness, ideas, and action.
- Where possible we buy from factories that have ISO 14001: 2004. Sample Certificate for Environmental Management.
- All our imports from overseas are by sea freight, never by air freight.
- We recycle our warehouse corrugated board, as well as office paper and card.
- We switch off lights, computers, screens and printers whenever possible and always at night
(not left on standby). - Our warehouse lights are switched off in non-active areas.
- APL do not run company cars over 135g/km CO2 emissions.
- In winter we reduce heating emissions by turning the thermostat down and wearing warmer clothing.
- We are always looking at ways to reduce our CO2 emissions and to minimise waste:
in any case, it makes good business sense.
APL products
There are no simple answers to questions such as : "What is the most environmentally responsible carrier bag?". It depends on factors including:- Are the raw materials already recycled?
- Are the raw materials renewable or endlessly recyclable?
- How much energy is needed to grow or extract the materials, and to process them?
- How much energy is needed to transport the material to factories that turn the material into finished products, and then on to the user?
- Will the user want to re-use the bag, and how many re-uses will the bag be fit for?
- Does the bag design help discourage littering?
- How much energy is needed to recycle the materials, and is there a demand for the recycled material?
- If the bag is made of mixed materials, are they easily separated out for re-cycling?
- If sent to landfill, are the materials fully biogradable (not just 'de-gradable') and what residues will be left in the soil?
The table below lists environmental advantages of the main materials used by APL Express.
| Material | Environmental Advantages |
|---|---|
| “Standard” polythene, for example APL's plain plastic carrier bags |
|
| “Standard” polythene with a degradable additive, for example APL's plain frosted plastic and all printed plastic carrier bags |
|
| 100% recycled polythene, for example APL's 39cm 100% recycled plastic carrier bags |
|
| Paper: all APL paper products |
|
| Cotton |
|
| Jute |
|
Each material also has its disadvantages. APL has more detail available and you are welcome to contact us. See also our Buyers Guide which advises on environmental aspects of particular types of bag.
When we put emotion and business interests to one side and look at all the facts, it is really quite impossible to select one material which is Mr or Mrs “right” for the environment. We do however advocate
- Recycling, which is why we offer 100% recycled bags
- Reduce where possible.
- Re-use for the lifetime of the packaging.
We would like to hear your views! Please contact us.
Some relevant wider bodies:
