Plant hire companies in the UK, much like the construction and engineering sectors in this country, are all looking to change the processes involved in the business to ensure that sustainability is a key component of everything they do. Designing and implementing a carbon strategy that works for both the plant hire company and its clients is important, and if the environment and choosing a sustainable future is important to you as an individual, and the company that you work for, choosing a plant hire contract that has similar ideals is a great option to have.
How plant hire can become sustainable
The first thing that should happen for plant hire companies in the UK to become sustainable, is that a decision must be made at head management level to make fuel and carbon efficiency a priority and a real policy. There are so many different ways in which a plant hire company can improve the environmental impact that it has.
The biggest thing is to consistently upgrade the fleet of machinery and equipment made available to clients. Ensuring older models are phased out and bringing in new models that are 30% more fuel efficient (this figure will only increase as technology on future models improves) is a great start to the process of becoming sustainable and reducing the carbon emissions of the company. Shifting to electric vehicles and machinery where possible is another good option.
Another way in which plant hire companies can become sustainable is by improving the transport fleet they have available and the checks and training that is provided to plant hire clients. That way, there are incremental improvements across all parts of the company, meaning the client hiring plant has a better chance of reducing their carbon footprint as a direct result of their choice of plant hire company.
Carbon offsetting
This is the process that allows you to reduce your carbon footprint when hiring the services of a company where greenhouse gas emissions are present. Some plant hire companies have taken this approach, adding a portion of the plant hire fee towards carbon reduction projects, reducing emissions by the equivalent of those generated by your plant hire project. It can seem daunting to attempt to reduce your carbon footprint, so carbon offsetting provides a positive process where you can make a contribution in situations where emissions can’t really be avoided.
Carbon offsetting should be a central feature of any plant hire company that you decide to go into business with. The construction industry has taken too long to get in line and start to change the way in which projects and tasks are completed. It is now entirely necessary to completely shift the mindset and look at ways to work sustainably. If you are looking for a plant hire company to provide you with the equipment and machinery to use on your next construction project, make sure it is a company with integrity and a genuine process of carbon offsetting and working in a way where sustainability is a central idea of the organisation. learn more here.
