Aveley Lodge & the Environment
“It is our collective and individual responsibility…to preserve and tend to the world in which we all live” Dalai Lama
We at Aveley Lodge Care Home, try to be as environmentally friendly as possible. Ultimately, we must all protect our planet as it’s what we all have in common and it’s our only home!
Change starts at home. We reuse and recycle what we can within the strict constraints of the hygiene and health and safety laws placed upon the care industry. We encourage our staff to walk, cycle and lift share to get to and from work and any leased company cars are electric or dual fuel to reduce our carbon emissions. We’re also installing electric charge points to support these. We limit the use of plastic where we can; for example, our residents use paper straws with their drinks and our food delivery companies have a commitment to using zero plastic bags. Around the home, we use energy efficient light bulbs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and encourage lights and any electrical items to be turned off fully when not in use. Staff are encouraged to use paper efficiently, only print what is needed and record as much as possible digitally and to use reusable cups rather than single use, plastic bottles.
We have consciously tried to exclude from our food stock, any products that use palm oil ingredients and where this is simply not possible, we actively source items that are from a sustainably resourced palm oil plantation so as to proactively control the use of this destructive component. We use only 100% locally grown and sourced organic fruit and vegetables in our meals and on occasions, our residents gardening club plant and harvest vegetables grown within our own garden. We also encourage our staff, resident’s and their families to be environmentally conscious within and outside of our home of the benefits of recycling and discourage the use of products containing palm oil and plastics.
“A beautiful environment starts with you” Anon
At Aveley Lodge we take immense pride in our responsibility to a healthier environment for everyone. Our sensory gardens here have not only been specifically designed for our residents use and enjoyment but also with a strong emphasis on encouraging wildlife and nature to flourish side by side with numerous pollinating plants attracting a variety of native birds, insects and animal life. We have planted many trees around our property to help clean the air and combat climate change. Our resident birdwatching group have made bird boxes and feeders and delight in watching our varied feathered visitors making the most of their creations. We have a large living roof to the rear of our property that uses recycled rainwater which purifies the air, reduces the ambient temperature, regulates the indoor temperature, saves energy and encourages biodiversity.
“The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it” R. Swan
By 2035, we at Aveley Lodge, aim to reduce our overall carbon emissions to zero, hopefully becoming a carbon neutral company. Carbon Neutral is a term used to describe the state of an entity such as a company like ours, where the carbon emissions caused by us have been balanced out by funding an equivalent amount of carbon savings elsewhere around the world. This means that we aim to reduce the following emissions in our carbon neutrality: emissions from owned or leased or directly controlled vehicles or other equipment that uses fossil fuels; emissions from the generation of purchased electricity and from heating; and emissions from waste and business travel. Our commitment to reducing our carbon emission will also include financing several emission reduction projects. As well as reducing emissions, these projects also have a positive impact on communities around the world.
We have also been involved in other projects over the years. We were thrilled to be accepted as a Platinum Investor of The Essex Wildlife Trust in September 2021. Our residents planted a wildflower meadow border to support the Essex Wildlife Trusts “Action for Insects” 2021 campaign. In 2022, our Rose Memorial Garden was created as well as planting our own Jubilee Tree to mark the Queens Platinum Jubilee year and our very own contribution to the international Queens Green Canopy initiative 2022. We have also established Aveley Lodge’s very own “Green Team” which is made up of staff and service users who meet on a regular basis to help take our recycling & environmental sustainability to the next level.
