Olympic Blinds Limited

The Environmental Policy provides the strategic framework for our work to improve the environmental performance of Olympic Blinds Limited, This policy is based upon the desire to reduce Olympic Blinds impact on the environment whilst at the same time reducing costs. 

It is set out on this page and we hope to add increasing numbers of active links to this copy of the policy to illustrate its strategic function. This document and the current project activities are available electronically for any party (internal or External) to view at any time.

The Policy states:

We recognise the essential contribution the environment makes to the lives of our customers, employees, end users and the global population as a whole. We will therefore aim to ensure that all of our manufacturing, procurement, waste disposal,  and other activities where Olympic Blinds have either direct or indirect control are managed so that they take every practical opportunity to improve and maintain the quality of both our local and global environments.

Strategic Environmental Objectives

We will through our own activities and through influencing the actions of others: 

1. Reduce the use of energy.

2. Reduce product miles.

3. Reduce the use of material resources.

4. Improve the environmental quality of material resources used (oektex)

5. Reduce non recyclable waste

6. Identify recyclable materials as core product offering

7. Reduce the impact of waste released to air, water and land.

8. To pre treat all waste prior to ethical disposal

9. To communicate these efforts to suppliers, customers and the industry at every opportunity.

 To ensure that these environmental principles are adhered to Olympic commit to -  

1. Responsibility, co-ordination and review structures that set out clearly who is responsible for developing, managing and reviewing all parts of our environmental policy

2. Specific Environmental Objectives linked to aspects of all Olympic service activities that have or could have significant impacts on the environment (environmental risks).

3. Environmental Targets that are continuously reviewed and communicated

4. Internal Communication and Training that promotes a greater understanding of and responsibility for this environmental policy amongst our employees at all levels.

5. External Communication, Dialogue and Partnership processes that enable business partners to review our environmental performance and to work with us to improve the environment for everyone.

6. An Environmental Management System that organises the procedures needed to effectively manage Olympic Blinds policies.

7. Environmental Audits at regular intervals to check how well all parts of this environmental policy are being implemented.

8. Suppliers and Contractor policies and procedures that set out the environmental standards we actively encourage these organisations to aspire to.

9. Environmental Stewardship procedures that ensure the potential environmental impacts (risks) of all new policies and activities are adequately taken into account during all stages of the development and decision making process.

To date Olympic Blinds have achieved the following major objectives. 

Pre-Treatment of waste project- Completed (review January 2008)

This has reduced non treated waste from 16 tonnes per month to 3 per month

Olympic now separate all packaging, good packaging is recycled as outbound packing or bailed for recycling.

Paper, Cans and clear and white plastics are segregated for ethical recycling

Aluminium waste is sold for recycling to an approved contractor

The impact is that an average of 92% of generated waste by weight is now recycled.

Green Supply Project

Olympic Launched in October 2007 a green screen Roller and Vertical Blind solution where the fabric will biodegrade in landfill within 5 years. The product is free of CFC's, Aldehyde's, Formaldehyde, Glass Fibre in PVC or noxious substrates.

Olympic now offers a "Blind Recycling" service where for a small charge we will remove existing "Contract" blinds from site and pre treat them for ethical recycling and disposal.

Our Retail customers are instructed on the ethical disposal of their blinds at the end of the life cycle of their product.

Olympic no longer supports in day to day business any supplier who does not manufacture and distribute in the UK.

We will always specify as first choice products that are available from UK companies that we have personally visited to ascertain their environmental credentials and their commitment to ethical trading policies.

We will assist our suppliers in the development of environmental policies and will actively support them in promoting their efforts in our marketing communications. (e.g. Olympic Wrote Louvolite's "Make a Difference" Statement which we carry in all retail pattern books)

We no longer use "Air Freight" to move our products or supplies

We no longer purchase raw materials from China, Japan, Israel, India, South Africa in fact all core components are manufactured and sourced in Manchester.

We source wherever possible our day to day services and products from suppliers within 10 miles of our factory.

We have moved to a "Rep on Request" policy where trade customers can see a sales manager from Olympic by booking in advance allowing us to plan "Clustered" visits weeks in advance, Saving over 200,000 miles per annum in travel miles. 

Reduce the use of material resources

Olympic have in the last two years reduced stock holdings from over £175K to less than £50K.

We have reduced waste on core product from 10% of raw materials to less than 2% average.

We have reduced aluminium consumption from 14% of volume to less than 10%

We have moved from purchasing 100m fabric rolls to job specific lengths

We recycle 70% of our inbound cardboard packaging as outbound packing reducing the cost of purchased packaging significantly

Olympic are committed to continuously reviewing the environmental impact of its products. All new products are being developed with the carbon footprint in mind.

Please contact us for a reprint of the "Openings" article "Where there is Muck" for more about our environmental policy.

To find out how to contact us click here