Vital support aids the unsung emergency service

Reacting to the "fallout" from natural and man-made disasters, no matter how small, is an important service offered by a select few companies – especially as almost instant action is required in many cases. Supporting these companies by making sure that everything they need is there when they need it is also just as vital, as waste management company Greenstar. demonstrates.

One thing that will stick in the memory of many people, especially those in the Hemel Hempstead area, was the Buncefield Depot explosion and the resulting aftermath. Described as one of the biggest ever peacetime explosions in the UK, the events at Buncefield bought local businesses to a standstill as fire fighters fought to control the blaze.

A great deal of media coverage was quite rightly devoted to the scores of emergency services personnel fighting to bring the fire under control and ensure the safety and security of the surrounding areas. But the unsung heroes in this and many other instances are the companies and people that work tirelessly around the clock clearing up the mess after the disaster is over.

One such company, Homeserve Emergency Services Limited, which repairs and replaces glass, locks, windows and doors, is a past master of dealing with these types of emergencies and it certainly had its work cut out following the Buncefield fire – with many homeowners and insurance companies calling on its services to clear, secure and repair many damaged properties. Indeed, the BBC documentary "Disaster Masters" featured significant coverage of Homeserve's activities as it leapt to the aid of many homeowners in the wake of the Buncefield disaster.

According to Mark Aylen, national purchasing and supply manager at Homeserve: "We like to think of ourselves as one of the emergency services as we often have to respond just as quickly as the 'big four' to make sure everything is safe and secure. With this in mind, we also have to be extremely confident that our suppliers can react in the same timely fashion and supply us with the services we need, as and when we need them."

Elaborating on the role that Homeserve undertakes, Aylen explains: "The immediate and ongoing customer support we offer is of paramount importance. As you can imagine many of our customers are not in the best of moods when we first appear but we put them at ease almost immediately as they realise what we can do for them – the idea being that we come in and remove all the inconvenience for them. However it is not just the professionalism and immediacy of our response that impresses them, it is our support and ongoing activities that help to further put their minds at rest. We could not offer this type of response if it were not for our suppliers sharing a similar mind set and commitment to customer services."

One such supplier, Greenstar, has been partnering with Homeserve for the last few years to help it address the immense amount of waste generated by the many clear up activities Homeserve has undertaken. Aylen continues: "As well as a responsibility to our customers, we have a social responsibility to the environment and this is where Greenstar has really helped. Not only does Greenstar manage all of our waste activities but it has also made an immense impact on the amount we now recycle – reinforcing the point that even broken windows can have a second life.

"We wanted to not only reduce the amount of landfill that resulted from our work but also to increase the amount of recycling that could be undertaken relating to the material we collected from site clearances and repair activities. Given the type of activities we undertake, glass was the obvious first target. In 2004 we recycled relatively little glass, but since Greenstar has come on board this figure is now at 46% and rising. It is our intention to expand these activities into other areas now, such as metals."

When this initiative was first suggested a national search was undertaken for a company that could supply these capabilities to Homeserve's 37 National depots. One large national supplier was tried but it just didn't work out. "That was when we got Greenstar involved and I am glad to say it has been a resounding success," exclaims Aylen. "Not only does Greenstar manage all of recycling activities on a nationwide basis but its reporting regime continually suggest areas of improvement and targets for us to work towards. Every month the company analyses our activities and then issues a fresh set of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for us to 'aspire' to in the following months. It is a great approach because not only are we recycling more than we ever used to, but with the KPIs we are constantly improving the ratio."

To put these facts into actual figures, weighing up the cost of landfill against the cost of the service, Homeserve is saving thousands every month and, with any increase in business, and the projected increase in landfill tax, these savings can only get greater.

Greenstar 's role in this process is to supply Homeserve with a number of different recycling skips for its depots around the UK. The waste is separated, based on the material, and then Greenstar arranges for disposal either through local recycling agencies or through its own waste management infrastructure. Greenstar removes all of the bureaucracy surrounding the disposal of waste as it is all bound up in a single contract and Homeserve can be confident that its waste is being handled in a way complimentary to its own environmental duty of care guidelines. With its national infrastructure and ambitious growth strategy Greenstar is well placed to cater for any expansion in the Homeserve environmental plan as well as those of its many other customers across the UK.

Aylen continues: "Greenstar do a fantastic job and are very easy to work with, our account manager deserves a particular thanks due to the one-to-one service he offers. In short we respond as quickly as we can and we know Greenstar will be there, we don't need to ask – we just know they are ready when we need them."