Knights of Old Gains ISO 14001 Accreditation
February 2009

In times when there is increased emphasis on the impact your business has on the environment, companies are under pressure to meet their clients’ requirements as well as reach their own standards. Knights of Old Ltd is continually aware of achieving new goals and has successfully completed the BS EN ISO 14001 accreditation.

This international standard recognises environmental practices throughout the business and demonstrates Knights of Old’s commitment to comply with environmental laws and regulations. Janet Hudson, Quality, Health & Safety and Environmental Manager said: “The ISO 14001 Environmental Accreditation is paramount to the company’s operations and is a vital standard desired by new and existing clients.”

An Environment Management System based upon the ISO 14001 provides a framework for companies to control the environmental impact of its many activities, products and services along with visibility to continually improve its environmental performance. Janet Hudson continues: “We recognise that minimising waste and saving energy is an essential part of business practice. At Knights of Old we have numerous procedures and initiatives in place which allow us to minimise carbon emissions and reduce the carbon footprint of the goods we deliver.”

Knights of Old considers internal communication and co-operation as key factors in achieving and maintaining these standards. Internal procedures include: use of recycled paper, car pooling where possible, energy efficiencies in warehouse and office facilities, water recycling facility for the truck wash, and wood recycling for old pallets. Hudson continues: “The co-operation from our staff has been fantastic. We have had a series of ‘Go Green’ workshops to inform and educate all staff of our procedures, and without ‘team ethic’ we would not have achieved this standard in such a short space of time.”

The company’s largest energy expenditure comes from its core business, the movement of freight and day to day running of trucks. Knights of Old has a fleet renewal programme which ensures that the fleet is constantly updated with the latest technologies which reduce carbon emissions. Vehicle idling is continuously monitored as part of a fuel management system and this can highlight the driver’s performance and any fuel wastage.

In addition to the fuel management system, Partnerlink is a huge part of Knights of Old’s environmental consideration. A privately owned national distribution consortium of which Knights of Old is a major shareholder, Partnerlink’s concept of consolidating loads between partners maximises freight movement whilst minimising pollution. Janet Hudson continues: “The consolidation of freight and reduction of carbon emissions are hugely important to our customers as social and ethical awareness increases. With Partnerlink forming such a large percentage of our freight movement it is a concept which is vastly important to Knights of Old’s status within the industry, local community and customers.”