Greener Workplace Forum launches at Milton Park

Milton Park has launched its Greener Workplace Forum which has representatives from its many businesses across the Park.

The Forum has combined with the Sustainable Travel Forum which was set up by Veronica Reynolds, the Park’s sustainable travel advisor, in 2017.

The new forum currently has 62 members across 46 Milton Park companies.

As an independent group, the aim is to share best practice and raise awareness of existing green initiatives around energy use, recycling and transport, and be a collective voice when lobbying for infrastructure improvements and investment which help to reduce emissions from transport, buildings and plant and create more space for nature.

The first meeting was held virtually in March 2021 and will meet quarterly.

The group was particularly interested in exploring:

• use of solar power on-site
• more electric vehicle charging points
• clothes recycling points
• ‘take back’ schemes for office equipment
• opportunities for volunteering on nature projects.

Peter King, estate manager at Milton Park talked through existing initiatives around waste management, including food recycling, and the estate’s increating emphasis on preserving the Park’s green spaces and enhancing these with more wildflower planting and careful management of the watercourses and lagoons.

He explained that in 2020, 90.4 tonnes of recycling waste from the Park was sent to materials recovery facilities. This compared to 2019 where 319 tonnes was sent for recycling, reflecting the impact of Covid in the reduction of overall waste production.

Veronica Reynolds, sustainable travel advisor, Milton Park said: “It’s great that our customers are so committed in responding to the climate emergency and building back better. Over the years, our travel forum has been very effective and it was a natural evolution to move this into this new Greener Workplace Forum.

“Together we can expand our efforts to reduce our carbon footprint through energy savings, recycling and making a positive contribution to biodiversity. With transport still one of the largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions and private cars accounting for 62% of transport emissions, the Forum will still have as one of its main objectives the promotion of sustainable travel modes, lobbying for better public transport and cycle routes and facilities. Together, we can improve our air quality and our environment. It’s exciting to have so many people from across the Park involved and we openly welcome new members.”

If you would like your company to be represented, please email veronica.reynolds@miltonpark.com.