At Gill Education, we take our commitment to the environment seriously and in 2023 we increased our focus and initiated an action plan to make real changes to minimise our impact on the environment.
Gill Education goes green
One of our main goals has been to transition to renewable energy resources. Supported by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) grant scheme, we installed solar panels on our building. To make this all possible, we partnered with Solar Evolution, a renewable energy company that delivers photovoltaic technology and brings solar power to homes and businesses across Ireland. At the end of the project, Solar Evolution kindly gifted us trees from www.cloudforests.ie. Our trees now stand in a forest on the west coast of Ireland, just outside Lahinch in Co. Clare. This beautiful forest was first created in December 2020 and features many native Irish trees including Oak, Hawthorn, Rowan, Downy Birch, Hazel, Bird Cherry and Guelder Rose.
Since transferring to solar power in August 2023, 25% of our electricity now comes from the solar panels, which has also allowed for a 50% reduction in consumption from the electricity grid.
Lighting the way
In August 2023, we also decided to flip the switch and install LED lighting for improved energy efficiency. By making this illuminating change, we have reduced our average daily electricity consumption from 600kw to 400kw, and have saved a whopping five tonnes of C02 so far.
Small goals, big impact!
We know that it’s also the little things that can make a big impact and so we keep an eye on all other areas of our work and make any changes we can. Our main print supplier now uses 100% renewable electricity. All our book reprints are printed on paper from sustainable forests and are FSC certified. We have added glass recycling and composting to our recycling initiative and implemented regular WEEE recycling days for the business and our staff. As long-term members of REPAK, we have been recycling as much of our waste as possible for many years.
At Gill Education, we are committed to supporting sustainability. We are always on the lookout for opportunities to cut down on energy consumption, minimise wastage and actively reduce our carbon footprint. We believe it’s important to make choices that preserve and respect the environment.
