Labcold takes it’s corporate and social responsibility very seriously. We are concerned about the environment and make every effort to ensure that our manufacturing, packaging and delivery procedures are as carbon neutral as possible. That’s why, where possible, we urge customers to contact Aid 2 Hospitals Worldwide so their old medical equipment can be recycled. Recycling is significantly better for the environment as the materials used to renovate the equipment are far less than those required to scrap it.

By donating your used equipment to Aid 2 Hospitals Worldwide you will:

• Provide work opportunities for people with learning difficulties and the socially disadvantaged in the UK

• Reduce waste and go some way to reach your recycle and reuse targets

• Save your organisation money as the collection fee is usually much less than the average disposal fee for old equipment

• Provide much needed medical equipment to the worlds poorest nations

To find out more, why not go to www.a2hw.org.uk or download the Aid 2 Hospitlas Worldwide leaflet by clicking here (requires Adobe Acrobat reader)

All manufacturing by Labcold is essentially assembly and does not give rise to any significant quantity of solid waste and none of a liquid nature.

Sheet metalwork, insulation foaming, degreasing and painting (other than minor hand painting work) are all performed by suppliers prior to delivery to Labcold. Our choice of suppliers is impacted by the Company's environmental policy.

Use of volatile chemicals and solvents is negligible and we take great care to ensure that refrigerant gases are not released to the atmosphere during assembly.

No post-consumer recycled materials are used in the manufacture of any Labcold products although it is impossible for us to say if any have been incorporated into the raw materials used further up the supply chain.

Product Packaging

All product packaging used in conjunction with Labcold products is for the purposes of product protection whilst in storage or when being transported.

Packaging materials are composed of varying quantities of the following components: -

• wood
• plastics (mainly polystyrene, polyethylene, PVC)
• compressed fibreboard
• cardboard

More than 95% of the packaging materials received into Labcold are recycled into packaging for outgoing finished goods, hence the very small volume of solid waste generated by our operations department.

None of the packaging provided with Labcold equipment is intended for re-use.

Wooden pallets are only used for two purposes: -

• To facilitate movement of larger models by pallet, or forklift, truck. In this instance the pallets are sized to the specific cabinet, are smaller than standard pallets and made of light materials, and are thus single use only.

• To group together small units or boxes in order to more efficiently move them about.
  In this instance standard sized pallets may be used but it is extremely rare that more than one at a time is delivered to a single destination. Due to the irregular nature of our delivery service Labcold does not offer a pallet return service - It would be environmentally irresponsible to send a large vehicle on a special journey of perhaps many miles solely to collect a single pallet. Refrigerant Gases

EC regulation 2037/2000 further tightened regulations on ozone depleting substances previously regulated by the Montreal Protocol 1987 and the Vienna Convention 1995 following which chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) became controlled substances, and were not used in any Labcold product in accordance with the regulations.

EC regulation 2037/2000 imposes similar restrictions on Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) leading to a complete ban on their use as refrigerants from 1st January 2001, except for laboratory use and certain air conditioning systems.

Further restrictions are imposed upon the use of HCFCs when repairing equipment from 1st January 2010.

Despite the exemption for laboratory uses Labcold is pleased to confirm that no Labcold products contain either CFCs or HCFCs as refrigerants.

As a responsible manufacturer, Labcold keeps a careful watch on all initiatives and regulations to ensure that any necessary changes are implemented well ahead of regulatory deadlines.

Disposal of Units at End of Life

In addition to the above declaration on refrigerant gases Labcold can confirm that no CFCs or HCFCs are used in the insulating foam or any other part of the manufacture of our products. It is theoretically possible, therefore, to dispose of Labcold products without any special considerations however further tightening of the regulations may be expected in forthcoming years. Older Labcold models may contain CFCs and are therefore classed as hazardous goods by the UK Environment Agency, and special conditions apply to their disposal.

Labcold currently offer a removal and disposal service to customers who have old products containing CFCs and HCFCs. This service is available at a charge calculated upon the size of the unit(s) and their quantity. It is offered only to customers purchasing new equipment from Labcold.

For further information on disposal and compliance with the Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment Regulations please refer to the relevant section to be found elsewhere on this web site.

Recycling

Products

The products themselves present two opportunities for recycling: -

• The refrigerant gases are removed for re-use where possible
• The chassis and other internal metalwork are sent to an approved waste disposal operator who will recover the metallic and certain plastic components.

Product Packaging

Other than re-use of incoming packaging, as detailed earlier, there are currently no opportunities to recycle the product packaging due to its low volume.

The Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 1997 provide the framework against which Labcold assesses its requirements. The regulations impose recycling requirements on companies whose total throughput of packaging materials exceeds 50 tonnes per year. Labcold's throughput is currently substantially below the 50 tonne threshold and so has no obligation in law in this regard. We will however continue to monitor both our throughput and our obligations.

In terms of packaging minimisation: - since the packaging we use is solely for product protection the most cost effective solution is most likely to be the lightest solution too. Labcold therefore keeps a careful watch on packaging to ensure that it is no more substantial than is necessary to ensure the products are delivered in perfect condition.

In addition Labcold selection criteria for delivery carriers is, in part, strongly influenced by their ability to handle lightly packed goods.