Eurostar is high speed towards sustainability.
Eurostar UK provides a high speed passenger train service for business and leisure travellers to France and Belgium, from Ebbsfleet and Ashford in Kent. Eurostar have set ambitious carbon reduction targets for the whole business, to be achieved by 2012, and have set up an environmental
group to identify where improvements can be made.
One such environmental improvement has been undertaken at the Customer Contact Centre. The Customer Contact Centre is based in Ashford and has 270 employees. Environmental Champions have been appointed and employees have been instrumental in effecting environmental change within the business. One of a number of very simple initiatives they have implemented has been to discontinue the use of bottled water coolers for the provision of drinking water in the
offices and to begin using tap water. Employees now use their own glasses to drink tap water, saving the disposal of a staggering 59,000 plastic cups per year.
There are no known health benefits from drinking bottled water; in fact, tap water is governed by some of the strictest rules in the world, tested to even more stringent standards than bottled water, so it is perfectly safe to drink. A variety of filters can be used to improve the quality and taste of the water.
Eurostar previously spent approximately £400 per water cooler per year. By eliminating the 11 water coolers, they are now saving a total of between £4,000 and £4,500 per year, not including the cost of electricity used to run them. Not only does changing from bottled water to tap water make financial good sense, it is also beneficial to the environment. Bottled water is transported around the country creating carbon emissions and additional lorries on the roads. Energy is used in the manufacture and disposal of the plastic bottles and cups. Tap water is provided by a comparatively efficient infrastructure of underground pipes and plumbing and offers the added bonus of financial and carbon savings.
Contact Email:
Organisation:
Business Link, Eurostar
Organisation’s website:
http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/southeast
Keywords relating to this case study:
Sustainability, waste, transport
South East groups case study relates to:
Business and economy
