WCS Group Environmental Commitment

CO2 emission reductions

We are committed to reducing the environmental footprint of our WCS Group operations and have set a group target of achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2035. Employees already actively participate in measures to tackle climate change by reducing CO2 emissions, energy use, and use of raw materials. Overall emission reduction goals include:

To achieve this target a pathway to success has been established with key activities and milestones planned. This includes:

Onsite recycling & waste management

WCS Group is committed to reducing the creation of unnecessary waste across operations through the training and education of the workforce as well as the application of stringent approaches to avoiding creating waste where possible. Committed to reusing and recycling as much as possible, and where waste is generated, aiming for zero waste to landfill.

Additionally, WCS Group is committed to the management of the chemicals produced throughout the product life cycle, including the provision of suitable information to customers, to minimise the adverse impacts on human health and the environment

WCS Group was one of the first UK specialist chemical manufacturers to achieve the ISO 9001 quality management standard, to ensure customers get consistently good quality products and services. All divisions are now certified to this standard.

WCS Group has recycling facilities at all its sites and minimises waste packaging where possible. The company has committed to a 100% onsite recycling policy and sending zero non-hazardous waste to landfill by 2025. To support this goal WCS Group has already shifted the contract for office waste provisions to a provider that sends zero waste to landfill. As part if the wider Marlowe group, of which WCS Groups is apart, environmental consultancy William Martin Compliance provides expert advice and guidance to WCS property managers and commercial business across the UK, including:

Smart water management

WCS Group uses technology to address not only its own environmental impacts, but those of its clients. WCS is the UK leader in assuring water systems are safe, efficient, sustainable and compliant, supporting more than 15,000 customers nationwide. By implementing practical and effective solutions such as steam boilers and cooling towers, which can be analysed for losses and leaks and, with the implementation of a pre-treatment plan, we support customers in improving their water quality, maximising their water-use efficiency and reducing the proportion of untreated wastewater they create.

The goal is to achieve net zero water usage where the amount of water used and returned to the original water source equals the buildings total water consumption.

Our people: understanding and responding to climate change

In recognition of the increasingly urgent need to address climate change and the requirement to develop a cohesive plan across WCS, business owner Marlowe Group created an environmental, social and governance (ESG) committee in 2021, with senior representatives from across all business units, including WCS Group.

A new group-level environmental management policy has been implemented which covers all employees and contractors, outlining approaches to climate change action, with responsibility for adherence to the policy sitting with the board.

The policy is being rolled out across WCS Group and is provided to employees along with an online ESG training course. All employees will be expected to comply with the policy and complete the course to help achieve business sustainability goals.

Lastly, the Environmental Working Group has been formed comprising of representatives from across Marlowe Group which is tasted with driving the WCSEE environmental plan and reporting progress. 

Some day-to-day actions in practice include:

Connection to the global picture

The approach of WCS Group starts with the core values, defining who the business is and what employees strive to demonstrate in how they work.

Our ESG strategy is aligned to achieving and working towards relevant United Nations Sustainability Goals, ensuring active support of both the UK and the world in making a better future. These include, with examples:

Focused on providing healthy lives and promoting well-being for all

WCS Group operations are focused on physical and mental health and wellbeing, providing counselling and health advice to actively support health and well-being in the workplace ensuring health and safety activities ensure safety risks are minimised.

Ensuring availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation

WCS Group is the UK market leader in assuring water systems are safe, efficient, sustainable, and compliant.

Promote sustained, inclusion and sustainable economic growth and decent work for all

Providing outsourced employment law, eLearning, HR and H&S services to ensure the workplace is safe and compliant for 100,000s of employees.

Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable

William Martin actively audits and consults on building risks.

For more information, please see our policy section