JR&Co recently scooped not one, but two Green Apple Environment Awards. We sat down with Vania Borges, Quality Sustainability & Environment Manager, to find out more about the winning projects and JR&Co’s ongoing commitment to sustainability.

Firstly, for those who don’t know, what are the Green Apple Environment Awards?

The Green Apple Environment Awards are a big deal! They’re an annual international campaign to recognise and promote environmental best practice around the world. They’ve been running since 1994 and are one of the most popular environmental campaigns globally. They have both international and national awards, and we applied for two national awards.

And you won! Tell us about the projects.

We did! We won Silver for the QR codes/site files project and Bronze for fleet electrification.

The QR Codes Project

This was a long process – it took about a year to fully implement. We used to have these huge site files at each location, each with around 235 pages of essential information like policies, procedures, and health and safety information for our staff and clients. These files needed to be regularly updated, which involved a lot of travel to our 300+ sites. It wasn’t just the paper and printing that was inefficient; it was the carbon footprint associated with all that travel.

We decided to replace the paper copies with QR codes displayed at each site. The QR code links to all the information online, so if anything needs to be changed, employees and clients have the updated details instantly. It’s much better from a health and safety perspective too, as there’s no lag in information updates.

It wasn't just the paper and printing that was inefficient; it was the carbon footprint associated with all that travel.

What were the main challenges?

The biggest challenge was overcoming resistance to change. Some of our cleaning teams were hesitant to use technology. To address this, we held training sessions and made sure we had a comprehensive roll-out plan. Our operation managers were trained on how to access the site files and taught their staff how to do the same. Managers don’t update the site files themselves – they are maintained centrally to ensure consistency and accuracy.

What are the benefits?

This project has significantly reduced our carbon footprint and ensured our cleaning operatives always have access to the most up-to-date information. It’s also far more efficient. Our managers no longer need to travel to update or check files, which means they have more time to support our teams to provide clients’ premises with their undivided attention.

The Fleet Project

This project is all about electrifying our entire fleet, which we’ll achieve this year – just one van left to replace! We’ve also switched our building’s electricity supply to 100% renewable sources.

Around 50% of the fleet was electric in 2022, and by the end of 2023, this increased to 95%. As we increased the number of electric vehicles, we knew electricity consumption at the head office would rise. To counter this, we switched the electricity supply to 100% renewable energy, reducing our dependency on fossil fuels.

Were there any challenges?

Not really. It all went according to plan. The only slight challenge was sorting out the renewable energy for the building. And we had to install more charging points at the office – we went from two to eight.

This project is all about electrifying our entire fleet, which we'll achieve this year!

What are the benefits?

This project benefits everyone. Whether our team is fixing machinery, delivering equipment to site, or simply travelling between sites, they’re doing it in electric vehicles, which drastically reduces our carbon emissions. It also sends a clear message to our clients that we care about our shared environmental impact.

What’s next?

We’ll be replacing that last van this year. We’re also looking at ways to make our transport operations even more efficient. By using data, we can optimise our operations, which benefits the company, our clients, and the planet.

Looking further ahead, what are your plans for 2025 and beyond?

Our main sustainability goal is to bring forward our net-zero targets. We originally aimed for 2050, but we’re planning to be even more ambitious. We’ve always been ahead of the curve when it comes to sustainability, and we’re determined to keep pushing ourselves.

We recently became a certified B Corporation, and we’ll be doing some more work to build on that certification throughout the year. Certifications like this push us to continually improve, as the guidelines evolve annually, ensuring we follow stricter best practices for sustainability every year.

We’re constantly exploring how we can improve, even beyond the scope of awards and certifications. It’s important to us to find ways to make a real difference.

What message do these achievements send to your clients and the wider industry?

These achievements highlight our commitment to sustainability and reflect the meaningful steps we’re taking to minimise our environmental impact and operate responsibly. The awards are not the goal – they’re a natural consequence of our ongoing dedication to doing the right thing.

Certifications like B Corp provide a framework for continuous improvement. They allow us to measure ourselves against other companies, so it’s not just us saying we’re doing well – it’s an independent organisation affirming it. This gives our clients an extra level of assurance, knowing we’re adhering to stringent, evolving standards.

Awards like the Green Apple are the icing on the cake. A great way to celebrate our team’s hard work and to demonstrate, particularly to people who don’t work with us yet, our commitment to sustainability, innovation, and being a force for good in business.

The awards are not the goal – they’re a natural consequence of our ongoing dedication to doing the right thing.

Author:
JR&Co

Read time:
4 MINS