Speedy offers 'green range' and customer carbon data

Speedy Hire is launching a ‘Green Options’ (GO) initiative giving customers the option to choose low-carbon products from a ‘Green Range’. The scheme is part of a wider environmental awareness campaign being launched by the company.

Speedy has engaged an independent environmental consultant, Environmental Resources Management (ERM), to assess the benefits of using selected ‘green' products. ERM has measured benefits in terms of the carbon they emit in comparison to alternative products; the daily cost savings through fuel efficiency; and the amount of energy saved compared to alternative products.

The green range includes products like the Tower Light VT1 eco, a lighting tower with a light detection sensor and auto stop/start function; a low energy portable cabin; hand-held drills and saws and mobile fuel dispenser.

Customers who opt for the GO scheme will receive monthly statistics on the amount of carbon, energy and money saved through the use of ‘green' equipment. Speedy said customers can use the data to demonstrate their commitment to the green agenda. Data will also clearly show that choosing the green option makes sound commercial sense, said the UK rental company.

Claudio Veritiero, managing director of UK & Ireland Asset Services at Speedy, said: "While industry-wide sustainability targets need to be met, saving money is still at the forefront of contractors' minds. We firmly believe that the two go hand in hand and our GO initiative will provide straightforward information to help our customers improve sustainability, increase efficiency and reduce costs."

Mr Veritiero said Speedy hoped its customers would support the initiative and that its equipment suppliers would continue to develop ‘green' products and submit them for testing; "Speedy has always been at the forefront of bringing new products to the marketplace and we are particularly interested to hear from new suppliers who have innovative products that help in this regard. Over the coming months we will be launching further new products, all of which reduce energy consumption or waste."

Charles Allison, the consultant heading the ERM team working with Speedy, said; "We've conducted a streamlined assessment of the carbon footprint of items of equipment in the green range, applying the principles of the Publicly Available Standard 2050, to provide robust and credible information for Speedy's customers.

"The assessment considers emissions from both the manufacture and use of the equipment. The CO2 benefits of items in the green range are calculated in comparison to typical alternative products. Non-carbon benefits - such as prevention of soil contamination - have also been evaluated using a qualitative assessment matrix. We're delighted to be supporting the first initiative of its kind in this sector".

The GO initiative is part of a wider ‘Getting Greener from the Ground Up' campaign from Speedy to help customers meet their environmental goals and reduce costs by addressing green issues at site level. Speedy said the campaign focuses on the four key areas of waste reduction, resource management, energy efficiency and pollution.

Environmental issues are becoming increasingly important for the rental companies who regularly work with large companies. In the US, for example, RSC Equipment Rental recently announced a scheme under which it will offer customers an emissions tracking service that will calculate greenhouse gas and pollutant emissions from its diesel powered equipment, with data included in invoices.