Sustainability

At Rainbow we are very conscious of our impact on the environment.

From the manufacturers we use, the products and materials we select, and the way we dispose of our waste, we make choices that have minimal impact on the environment.

We recommend manufacturers that have the best environmental credentials, look to use products which have high recycled content in their materials (and can also be recycled at the end of their life), and we ensure that none of our waste from our projects, end up in landfill.

In order to demonstrate our commitments in a way that can be clearly understood, in 2021 we commenced our journey to acquiring ISO 14001, and this was achieved in July 2021.

We are all very proud of this achievement, and know that this is just one part of our corporate and social responsibility, which we strive to continually improve.

We also want to give something back, so last year the team asked if we could introduce a scheme to plant trees.

We decided that we would plant a tree for any order over the value of £500 and on our larger projects, for each £100,000 of the project value.

A certificate is issued to each client who qualifies and this has a unique number for their tree. When this is entered into the website, they can see where in the country their tree has been planted.

In order to minimise our impact on the environment, Rainbow ensure that no waste produced from our projects ever ends up in landfill.

If we are asked to remove existing products from site, our initial aim will be to find a new home for the products.

By reusing them, not only do we prevent the creation of any waste, we are also helping any charity, school, or company who is in need of the furniture. This really is the best use of unwanted products and is always our ultimate goal

If we are unable to find someone in need of the products, the second step will be to recycle them.

Rainbow have partnered with an excellent waste management company and this is where we send the items that cannot be rehoused.

They break the products down into their component parts and separate them into what can be reused or recycled.

It would be ideal if every single material could be re-used but some items are unable to be broken down and reused because the technology is not currently available.

The good news is that these do not end up in landfill either. This is very important to Rainbow and is why we partnered with the waste management company. They have also retained the recycling performance standard PAS 402:2013 for the past 5 years in a row.

Any waste that cannot be recycled forms part of an agreement they have to provide high grade RDF (refuse derived fuel) bales which are sent from Port of Sheerness on Kent to Oxelösund Port in East Sweden using return sea freight journeys. It is then supplied to the Fortum owned Hogdalen energy-from-waste (EFW) facility in Stockholm. This plant, for which our recycle company supplies approximately 30% of the fuel, produces 2,174 GWh heat and 197 GWh electricity each year. This is enough to heat and power 20,000 homes in South Stockholm.

The fact no waste from Rainbow ends up in landfill is extremely important to us and by planting new trees for the orders we receive, we are actually improving the environment we live in for all.

If you would like more information on any of the above, please Contact Us and we will be pleased to help.