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What is Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC)?
Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC) is a system following the European Community Directive (96/61) which will introduce a more integrated approach to controlling pollution from industrial sources, across England and Wales.
The main aim of IPPC is to achieve:
A high level of protection of the environment taken as a whole by, in particular, preventing or, where that is not practicable, reducing emissions into the air, water and land.
The current systems for preventing and controlling emissions under Part 1 of the Environment Protection Act are;
• Integrated Pollution Control (IPC) which is for the most potentially polluting industries and is enforced by the Environment Agency
• Local Air Pollution Control (LAPC) which is for generally less polluting industries and is enforced by Local Authorities and concerns emissions to air only.
A new UK regime, Pollution Prevention and Control (PPC), will eventually replace the existing legislation (under Part 1 of the Environment Protection Act 1990) and implement the EC Directive on integrated pollution prevention. IPPC embodies an approach broadly similar to IPC but takes on a wider view of integrated permitting. The LAPC regime will be replaced by Local Air Pollution Prevention and Control (LAPPC) which is similar to IPPC in procedures but will still regulate emissions to air only. IPPC and LAPPC will both fall under the same regulatory framework of PPC.
Banham Poultry Ltd has been directly involved with IPPC for several years now, we have our own Environmental Team that ensures compliance with all of our permits.
Banham Poultry Ltd were the first poultry company to have an IPPC permit active on it’s farms, and the Environment Agency has used much of our work as templates for the rest of the industry to use.
Environmental Management System (EMS).
The environment has arrived! It is no longer just the air we breath, or the world we live in, it has become a requirement for businesses to address the environment in order to maintain customers, and exist [thrive] in an ever more critical global economy.
There is an ever-upward spiral of new environmentally related legislation. All of which aids global environment for our fellow citizens. Environmental management systems can assist an organisation to meet its increasingly heavy burden of responsibility for the future condition of our world environment. In many cases, the introduction of an environmental management system can also aid cost savings, and reduction of environmental liability.
There are a number of standards available, around which we can model our Environmental Management System, or EMS, on the international scene we have ISO14001. This standard forms part of the ISO14001 series of standards providing not only a specification but guidance and advice on a wide range of environmental issues including auditing, labelling, life-cycle assessments etc.
Banham Poultry Ltd has an EMS that is based on the ISO standard, this is audited on a regular basis by the Environment Agency and we have proven to be leaders in developing a well managed system.
Banham Poultry Limited (BPL) is a family owned business at the forefront of poultry production and is committed to supplying fresh poultry products throughout the UK. BPL chickens are bred, hatched and grown throughout Norfolk, with over 40 farms dedicated to providing approximately 600.000 birds / week to the main processing site at Station Road.
At BPL we recognise that these activities will inevitably impact on the environment and by way of this policy seek to control these impacts, by integrating excellent environmental management practices and Best Available techniques within each department of the company.
The potential environmental impacts associated with our current and future activities are managed by our Environmental Management System (EMS), which is to BS EN 14001 Standard. The EMS is continually updated and is designed to monitor and improve our environmental performance whilst ensuring compliance with all our legal commitments and obligations. In March 2005 we were granted an IPPC Permit for our main processing site under which all emissions to air, water and land are strictly controlled and regulated by the environment agency.
Due to the nature of our business and the quantities of resources consumed and produced as a by-product from the processes, it is our objective to become more sustainable, particularly with regards to waste disposal.
Waste disposal is a significant issue for the UK, with all businesses and residential properties coming under increasing pressure to minimise their waste and become more sustainable. In our commitment to become more sustainable by providing for the present without compromising the needs of the future, we have designed various projects to enable us to move forwards into a new era of waste disposal, recovery and renewable energy. Our aim is to provide the most environmentally and economically beneficial way of disposing of and recovering our waste material. This will place us at the forefront of waste management enabling disposal of waste products generated by both our own processes but also third party wastes, easing the pressure on less sustainable disposal routes.
Principles under pinning Banham Poultry’s Environmental Policy
The above policy outlines the fundamental goals of Banham Poultry Limited whilst the following principles provide the framework for which it will be achieved;
a) We will apply sound environmental management practices to all processes and activities
b) We will maintain and continually improve our emergency procedures and aspects and impacts register, to prevent pollution arising from normal and abnormal operating conditions.
c) We will communicate this policy to all personnel during their induction and publish the policy on the company wide intranet.
d) All staff will be encouraged through induction training to be aware of the potential environmental impacts of their activities.
e) Appropriate environmental awareness or more advanced training will be provided to senior staff in all departments to encourage individuals to contribute effectively in an environmentally competent manner.
f) We are committed to reducing energy, waste, water and other resources consumed as a result of our processes, and ensure that it’s disposal is conducted in an environmentally competent manner.
g) We will encourage the use of recycled materials where practicable throughout our processes.
h) We are committed to improving our process in the most environmentally and economically beneficial manner and aim to continually improve our environmental performance.
i) We will prevent pollution and reduce emissions to the air, water and land, in accordance with our legal obligations and commitments and where possible exceed the requirements of this legislation.
j) We will promote and maintain relations with the surrounding community and interested parties.
k) This Environmental Policy will be communicated and promoted to all trading partners and encourage their participation in sound environmental practices and management.
l) The environmental performance of the company including the achievements of the objectives and targets, will be reported on an annual basis and published on the company intranet.