Merchandise
Our 100% recycled and recyclable boxes are available across the UK, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Spain. We continue to offer our ‘box for life promise’, ensuring our boxes can be recycled in a responsible way.
The use of fully recycled papers across our range, including boxes, has resulted in the equivalent of 624 trees being saved from felling this year.
In addition, Safestore is committed to ensuring our merchandise packaging contains no single-use or non-biodegradable plastics.
Working with our suppliers we endeavour to minimise the carbon footprint of deliveries with items despatched from local depots and distribution centres, including one in the Netherlands for European distribution.
Uniform
Our uniform supplier processes are accredited by the International Register of Certificated Auditors (“IRCA”) which audits and inspects their factories. In addition, their processes are compliant with the Ethical Trading Initiative (“ETI”).
Electricity
We continue to make progress towards our environmental targets through efficiency initiatives and transitions to renewable electricity across the portfolio.
We are contracted to the supply of REGO certified renewable energy in the UK until the end of next year and committed to continuing thereafter.
The electricity for our UK owned portfolio is supplied by multiple renewable sources. The two largest contributors are Kilbraur Wind Farm and Cullisse Wind Farm which are both located in Scotland.
Like-for-Like usage (UK)
|
Last year |
This year |
% change |
Electricity (MWh) |
11,063 |
11,943 |
8% |
We have seen an incremental increase in electricity usage as our heating solutions are changed from gas to high efficiency electric solutions. Following the removal of coronavirus restrictions, we reinstated the use of electric hand dryers in our stores. We continue to monitor advances in technology and any viable solutions for the future to reduce our electricity usage.
Voltage optimisation
Voltage optimisation is a transformer-based technology which optimises incoming supply from the national grid to match the voltage required by equipment at an organisation’s premises. Optimising voltage reduces commercial energy use and costs as well as lowering carbon emissions.
During September 2022, we installed voltage optimisation at our largest location, the Battersea Park store and Business Centre. The return on investment for Battersea will be calculated after twelve months, with a predicted decrease in electricity demand and a more stable supply to the critical infrastructure at the site. We also plan to install this at our Liverpool facility, which also features a storage centre co-located with a business centre.
Gas
In 2020 we committed to eliminating gas usage by 2030 from our UK stores; this was done by installing high output low energy electric heaters, which are more efficient than water radiators with timed starting, reducing consumption and demand on electricity.
At the end of October 2022, we eliminated gas usage in 27 stores. We will work towards our 2030 target by removing gas in at least an additional five stores per year as laid out in our net zero plan.
The benefits of removing gas from our stores are wide ranging and include:
- a reduction in the CO2 output attributed to Safestore
- lower maintenance costs as electric heating systems are more reliable
- no requirement for carbon monoxide testing
- protection from the inevitable material price rises with the upcoming ban on gas boilers in new homes in 2025
This has resulted in a year-on-year reduction in total gas usage in the UK by 37%.
Like-for-Like usage (UK)
|
Last year |
This year |
% change |
Gas (MWh) |
3,649 |
2,300 |
(37%) |
Water
Our stores consume very low volumes of water, and we strive to further minimise our consumption of water wherever possible through the installation of efficiency schemes such as flow rate restrictors and aerators.
Like-for-Like usage (UK)
|
Last year |
This year |
% change |
Water (cubic metres) |
35,963 |
41,570 |
15.6% |
Whilst we have registered an increase in water consumption on a like-for-like basis, this can be attributed to a leak on the incoming water supply pipe at our Winchester site. Safestore carried out urgent remedial works once this was established; the leak was responsible for c.6,429m3 of the above ‘usage’. Without this leak, Safestore would have seen an overall reduction in water usage.
Operational waste
We changed our waste service partner in mid-April 2022 following a review of our waste production and a subsequent tender exercise in the UK. With our new supplier, we have implemented scheduled services ensuring 100% diversion from landfill for all operational waste, resulting in:
- overall reduction in total waste of 21.6% year-on-year 278.72 tonnes
- full year average of 96.59% diversion from landfill with 100% achieved since the start of May 2022
We will continue to review the scale and impact of operational waste in the UK and other territories, working to minimise the footprint of Safestore’s operational waste disposal.
Like-for-Like usage (UK)
|
Last year |
This year |
% change |
Waste to landfill (tonnes) |
43 |
37 |
14.0% |
As our new supplier is able to support us in maximising diversion from landfill, we expect to achieve zero operational waste to landfill from next year in the UK with options for other territories under review.
Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (“ESOS”) Phase 2
Safestore UK remains 100% compliant following the ESOS assessment in 2019 and is working towards completing Phase 3 due in 2023.
Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (“MEES”)
The Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property) (England and Wales) Regulations 2015 prohibit landlords from letting a property with an EPC rating of below E unless an exemption applies. This is relevant to our UK locations with lettable offices.
The prohibition has applied to new tenancies for residential properties since 1 April 2020 and will apply to commercial properties from 1 April 2023. This will be extended to landlords continuing to let properties that fall below the required EPC rating. It is currently unlawful for landlords to grant a new tenancy of commercial property with an EPC rating of ‘F’ or ‘G’. This applies to both new leases and renewals (unless an exemption applies, and the landlord has registered that exemption). MEES does not apply to lettings of six months or less, or to lettings of 99 years or more. From April 2027, the minimum standard will rise to a ‘C’ rating as an interim step to a minimum standard of ‘B’ from 1 April 2030.
Safestore identified 38 locations (storage centres which include lettable offices) where we would have the requirement to have a MEES energy performance survey conducted.
Since 2021/22, these stores have been surveyed by external independent assessors and the findings are that the majority are already compliant with the 2027 requirements of a ‘C’ rating. Just seven properties were identified as needing improvements to meet the 2027 standard, and we are confident that this can be achieved with modest capital investment. The readiness of the portfolio for the 2027 standard is a consequence of the work undertaken to date in the form of LED lighting upgrades, window and insulation enhancements, and the recent drive to install high efficiency electric heating.