ERA takes significant step to sustainable operations
As part of its commitment to becoming carbon neutral by 2030, ERA is currently installing over 2,600 solar panels at its UK headquarters in South Staffordshire.
Forecast to achieve an annual energy output of 979,200 kWh, the solar panels are being fitted across the roof of the 135,000ft2 purpose built facility, which houses ERA’s design, prototyping, manufacturing, assembly and warehousing operations, plus its UKAS accredited test house.
The deployment of renewable energy technologies forms part of ERA’s parent company, Tyman UK & Ireland’s 2030 Sustainability Excellence Roadmap, which also includes dedicated carbon removal projects for hard-to-reduce carbon emissions.
The installation, which is being led by sustainability programme manager, Kerri Nadel, will enable ERA’s headquarters to procure 100% of its electricity from renewable sources.
Kerri said: “As one of the UK’s leading hardware manufacturers, we have a responsibility to take action now to support the government in meeting its 2050 net zero targets. Across all areas of the business, we are identifying how we can improve the environmental efficiency of our operations.
“The transition to renewable energy at our headquarters marks a significant step in our commitment to achieving sustainable operations, whilst building a sustainable culture and delivering more sustainable product and service solutions to our extensive customer base. This is the only beginning for our ambitions.”
ERA is also working in close partnership with its OEM and distribution customers on a ‘minimise, eliminate, replace’ strategy, which includes removing plastic from display packaging, in addition to optimising the use of sustainable materials across all packaging.
This forms part of ERA’s pledge to achieve 100% sustainable packaging by 2026, an obligation it committed to before the introduction of the Plastic Packaging Tax and Extended Producer Responsibility which come into force in 2022 and 2023 respectively. It has also pledged to eliminate waste to landfill by the same year.