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Ubico outline their objectives and vision, and we execute these services at cost, offering a cost-effective solution for local authorities. This model enables us to quickly respond and adapt to changes, and by working with several councils, we can effectively leverage opportunities to streamline processes and drive greater efficiency. Each council benefits from coming together on certain initiatives and we can share best practices with our shareholders.”
Alongside expansion over the last ten years, Ubico has also diversified its offering to meet demand for sustainable solutions.“ We have a few different approaches when it comes to sustainability, mainly because our partner councils have got their own targets for carbon neutrality,” Beth shares.“ We’ re an active business in terms of wheels on the ground, so most of our emissions come from our fleet. We’ ve implemented several initiatives, and we now have 43 percent of our fleet operating on hydrotreated vegetable oil( HVO), as well as 31 electric or hybrid vehicles and 43 EV charging points.
“ When we started waste and recycling services in the Forest of Dean, the council was keen to use electric HGVs, and this added two electric curbside recycling collection vehicles to our fleet. Working with our partners, we ensure that our fleet specifications include as many features as possible to streamline vehicles in terms of efficiency. We also work directly with our drivers to monitor and improve driver performance, educating them on how their driving style impacts carbon emissions. Also, our in-house fleet management team, which currently operates workshops at our Cheltenham, Cotswold, Stroud, Forest of Dean, and Gloucester City depots, does an excellent job managing and maintaining most of our fleet.
“ We’ ve also done a lot of work across our supply chain to further reduce emissions by eliminating packaging or condensing deliveries where possible. With SAFPRO, for instance, which provides some of our PPE equipment, we gain corporate social responsibility points based on what we buy, and we can then turn these points into investment in the local economy, the environment, or our workforce. It’ s thirsty work keeping our streets clean and we encourage our staff to stay hydrated, but last year, we eliminated single waste plastic by using our points to buy reusable cups and water bottles. We also removed single use plastic from our on-site vending machines”
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