Protecting the planet is a big priority for us at Upminster Containers, and like all businesses, we are dedicated to introducing more environmentally-sustainable practices. We’re continually looking at every aspect of our operations to see where we can improve our eco-friendly credentials and protect the local environment, which is one of London’s greenest boroughs. We are proud to be an environmentally sustainable business.
We recently invested significantly in our forklift truck fleet, marking another major stride toward achieving our sustainability goals.
We recently purchased our first fully electric forklift. These machines run on lithium batteries and are designed to handle all the heavy lifting tasks that gas and diesel models currently carry out.
The shift to battery powered machinery is happening in all kinds of commercial and industrial sectors, and we are delighted to embrace the step into an electronic future. Adding this new forklift to our fleet brings several benefits:
A business like ours can generate a lot of noise, but we’re doing all we can to reduce the impact of what we do on our staff and the local community. Our new forklift emits a much lower level of sound during use, which is enabling us to maintain a more harmonious presence in our surroundings, bringing benefits to both people and wildlife within the local community.
Since the introduction of the electric forklift back in July 2024, we’re already seeing the impressive energy-saving benefits. We only have to recharge its battery every few months, thanks to its advanced capacity. This low frequency of charging is not only convenient for our business, but also reduces the demand we make on the power grid, and further minimises our carbon footprint, which are both big positives.
Speaking of our carbon footprint, one of the main reasons we chose to invest in an electric forklift is because of their reputation for reducing CO2 emissions when compared to traditional gas or diesel powered models. Electric forklifts can reduce emissions by up to 54% over their lifespan, so by switching to battery power, we are helping to cut down on greenhouse gas emissions. It’s also allowing us to better align with London’s city-wide goals for improving air quality and reducing environmental impact.
Our ongoing journey to greater sustainability has been underway for a long time now, with the purchase of our electric forklift just the latest milestone. Here are some of the other ways we’re being more eco-friendly in our container and modular building operations:
Optimising Energy Usage
We’re not only paying close attention to the power we use during the day-to-day running of our business – we’re also ensuring the modular buildings and container conversions we offer have energy saving options that customers can choose, so that our commitment to sustainability spreads far and wide. Eco-friendly features that are available in our modular buildings include:
Using Sustainable Materials
The Classic and Plus Line range of modular buildings we offer are all manufactured in European production plants. This means transporting them to the UK requires fewer resources and generates lower emissions than if the units were constructed in and shipped from, for example, the Far East. Also, all the materials used to build units are all the highest-quality, which means the buildings last longer. What’s more, where possible, we take great care to ensure the materials used in the construction process have been recycled.
Adopting More Environmentally Friendly Working Methods
We do all we can to reduce pollution and emissions during the production, transportation and ongoing use of the modular buildings and converted containers we offer.
Championing Upcycling And Recycling
By their very nature, the shipping container conversion services we offer are a great example of sustainability, eco-friendliness and the circular economy in action. When people need more space at home, work, or in their school or college, we are offering a faster, less expensive and more environmentally-friendly option than traditional building works.
By giving steel shipping containers a new lease of life and transforming them into all kinds of useful spaces from classrooms to offices, pop-up shops to changing facilities, we are ensuring that new areas for living and working do not have to be built from scratch. Converting a shipping container uses far fewer resources than new-build or extension projects, and that can only be good news for the environment. You can find out more details about our container conversion services here.
As an environmentally sustainable business that’s been based in Upminster for over 55 years, we’re proud to be continually contributing to the local community. Sustainability is becoming such a vital issue for people, businesses and entire industries – none more so than the construction industry, which is responsible for more than 60% of waste generation in the UK.
At Upminster Containers, we are ready to do all we can to reduce our emissions and play our part in helping Havering continue to enjoy its status as one of London’s greenest boroughs.
To find out more about our modular buildings, container conversions and the eco-friendly features you can choose, please contact our team.
