We all need to do our bit to reduce our carbon footprint and we thought it may be helpful to talk about our efforts to be more environmentally friendly, in the hopes of inspiring other businesses to commit to green policies of their own. 

We’re proud to be partnered with Moor Trees

We have partnered with an organisation who are doing incredible work to protect and preserve the local environment. Moor Trees is an independent charity dedicated to restoring native woodland on Dartmoor and in South Devon.

Moor Trees has grown and planted over 100,000 native broadleaved trees around Dartmoor and South Devon and are continuing to do great work building biodiversity in the county we call home. Here at Exact Structures, we are a Corporate Partner of Moor Trees and we provide a yearly donation to plant 132 trees, which mitigates 66 tonnes of CO2.

We all have a responsibility to tackle climate change and, by supporting Moor Trees, we can help to protect our local environment and offset carbon emissions in the area.

We work from home 2 days a week

Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, remote working has become an invaluable tool for many businesses to keep workers safe. Even though those initial restrictions keeping us out of the office have since been lifted, we continue to work from home 2 days a week to reduce unnecessary journeys which increase our carbon footprint.

We cycle to the office and to site visits

On the days when we do need to work from the office or we are going on a site visit, we like to make sure that our travel arrangements are as green as possible, which is why we cycle to work. Cycling is great for wellbeing and is one of the most environmentally-friendly ways to travel.

We catch local trains

People taking their own cars to work rather than sharing rides or using public transport has a huge impact on the environment. When cycling is not a feasible option, we make use of local trains rather than employees taking individual cars and adding to emissions.

We make use of Co Cars for our site visits around Devon

Another great option for low-emission travel in the South West is Co Cars, which we use to visit our sites around Devon when cycling isn’t a viable option. Co Cars hire out electric and low emission vehicles by the hour, rather than having to hire a vehicle for a whole day or more.

Paperless office

Another way we are trying to be more environmentally friendly is by going paperless in our office, having switched all invoices and documentation over to digital copies. This helps to reduce waste and the number of resources we use.

We use locally sourced and/or recycled materials and don’t over-specify the structure

Where possible, we will always choose to use locally sourced or recycled materials in our structures, from steel and crushed concrete to timber. We also take care to assure that the designs of our constructions are efficient, thereby reducing the material used on-site and reducing waste. We allow flexibility within our designs so that more environmentally-friendly materials can be used.

We look to strengthen, repair and restore an existing structure rather than replace it

Starting from scratch isn’t always the best option for our projects or the environment. That’s why we look to see where structures can be restored, repaired and strengthened, rather than demolished and replaced with a brand new structure requiring new materials and a large carbon footprint.

We are working hard to make sure we are being more environmentally friendly as a company as we all need to join in the fight against climate change. If you have any questions about our efforts, you are welcome to get in touch with us.