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What are we doing?

Our Organisation

In September 2003, Crystal and The CarbonNeutral Company (then known as Future Forests) worked with the science team at The Edinburgh Centre for Carbon Management to calculate greenhouse gas emissions from Crystal's head office in Kingston and the call centre in Harlow. The report confirmed a carbon footprint of 1,736.7 tonnes (see details of the report here).

MD of Crystal comments: ’We think businesses should take responsibility for the CO2 emissions they produce and reduce them to net zero as quickly as possible. That’s what we are doing with The CarbonNeutral Company, and our offset projects are both international and national (700 trees in Galleypot, Oxfordshire).‘

Through its partnership, Crystal became the first mainstream tour operator to offer its customers the choice of reducing their greenhouse gas emissions through the CarbonNeutral® flights programme.

Recycling programme and energy saving projects

Carbon offsetting allows us to reach net zero emissions faster than we can do through internal changes to our business. BUT that doesn’t mean that we’re not making strides in that direction also.

In all our offices in the UK and abroad:

• All PCs are set up to enable power saving, so that the screen will be switched off if it hasn't been used for more than 20 minutes.
• Office thermostats: if there are areas that are not being used, we turn it down to a low setting.
• Cleaners have instructions to turn off any lights or PC screens that they find left on.
• Check that power adaptors/transformers for equipment that isn't being used are unplugged or switched off.
• Hot water taps (and cold water) are not dripping.
• Timers on photocopiers, water coolers and coffee machines.
• Thermostats are programmable ones that will adjust the time that heating is switched on dependent upon temperature.
• Paper and plastic recycling schemes - separate waste bins for recycling
• All training printed material, ie handouts are double sided.

We advise our staff that they can help reduce CO2 emissions and air pollution by reducing the amount of fuel which is being used. That means walking, cycling or taking the bus for short journeys. When you do have to use a car, follow some of these simple ‘ecodriving’ tips and you could save around £120 and 280kg of CO2 every year by driving more efficiently:

• When changing gear, check your rev counter. You should be changing up at no more than 2500 rpm in a petrol car and 2000rpm in a diesel
• Avoid high speeds - driving at 85 mph instead of 70 mph uses around 25 per cent more fuel
• Drive smoothly and consistently using higher gears when you can use your air conditioning sparingly
• Switch off your engine when you're going to be stationary for more than a minute or two
• Share your journeys where possible
• Remove roof racks when not in use as they significantly increase air resistance and fuel consumption
• Service the car regularly and maintain the right tyre pressure

In all our club hotels abroad:

• Environmental cards are displayed in bathroom
• We change towels only once during a guest's stay
• We have installed light sensors in corridors
• We use low energy light bulbs
• We have installed double glazing
• We have installed individual bedroom heating controls
• We have installed water volume reducer in taps
• We have installed “bricks” in toilet cisterns to reduce volume of water flushed
• Hotel managers are incentivised to reduce utilities bills
• We have trained staff on commercial awareness: turn the tap off while brushing teeth, switch lights off and reduce heating during the day etc