Environmental Policy
As part of the Green Retreats group we take the environment seriously. It’s vitally important to us that we do everything in our power to be environmentally responsible. That’s why we’ve put systems in place over the last 13 years to reduce our impact on the environment as much as possible.
Since 2015 we’ve worked closely with our partners at Bucks Recycling to ensure that all of our waste is recycled. As a result, nothing ends up in landfill and you can buy an annex safe in the knowledge that your new annex has been built with the environment in mind.
What makes Annex.co.uk green?
The factory – Our factory is 100% carbon neutral, and its day to day activities have no negative effects on the environment.
Both our offices and factory are powered by energy from the onsite solar farm. Over 6000 solar panels are spread over 10 acres of runway at our former RAF base. Since the first solar panels were installed over 1,400 tonnes of CO2 has not had to enter the atmosphere because of the farm.
Our partnership with Buck Recycling has continued to grow. Both companies are operated from Westcott Venture Park. Their lorries don’t have far to travel to collect our waste, and all timber, cardboard, paper and plastic is recycled.
Our factory is important to us, so we’ve invested heavily in the last few years on improving the way we work. Our old halogen lights have been replaced by far more energy efficient LED lights, and we now have sensor-controlled roller shutters at each end of our factory to prevent heat escaping when possible.
We’ve also made recent changes to the way our factory is operated and laid out. We’ve made better use of our space, which allows us to produce more in the space, with less energy used as a result of not having to run more factories.
The showroom and office – It’s not just the factory that’s had an environmentally focused investment. Our brand-new showroom is also 100% carbon neutral.
All paper, cardboard and plastic waste from the offices is also recycled. Our offices and showroom also feature LED lighting throughout. These lights are also sensor driven so only turn on when people are around and they’re needed.
Printer cartridges and coffee pods are also recycled, and we had superfast fibre broadband installed straight to site. This allows us to conduct more of our meetings via Skype or phone saving fuel and the environment.
Our vehicles – Our fleet of vehicles also has the environment in mind. We have a fleet of Mercedes Sprinter vans for one simple reason. They were the first van to meet the new Euro 6 emissions standard. Our vans also follow the manufacturer recommendations for servicing, keeping them as efficient as possible.
It’s not just our vehicles on the road that are environmentally focused. Our factory-based side loader van is now also fully electric, and we have multiple electric car charging points on site.
Westcott Venture Park is now connected to Aylesbury and Bicester by bus. The number 17 bus runs several times an hour allowing employees to get to and from work without using their cars.
Our people and suppliers – All of our employees are as invested as we are. We give ongoing training on best practice to reduce environmental impact.
It’s not just our employees we worry about. Our suppliers are carefully handpicked based on their own policies. We have agreements in place with like-minded suppliers and many materials we now use are second life.
The design and construction of our annexes – Our decking and foundation pads are created using composites. Our suppliers mix recycled components together to create a hard wearing and durable material that’s perfect for elements of our build process. It’s also fantastic for the environment to reuse materials.
Our timber frame and cladding system uses timber, which is all sourced from FSC certified suppliers. These suppliers adhere to a strict code, and plant thousands more trees than they cut down each year to reduce their impact on the environment as much as possible.
Our foundation system further enhances our credentials by using less concrete than a standard concrete base. It also allows water run off underneath the building.
