How Ramco helped First Choice Group with their sustainability journey
The importance of environmental issues, and the resulting need to be sustainable, has expanded exponentially in recent years. The introduction of stringent laws and regulations, combined with a significant rise in consumer demand, has seen businesses face increasing external pressure to integrate sustainability into their everyday business. Companies are also becoming more aware of the many benefits that sustainable initiatives can have on the bottom line, such as increased productivity, improved brand reputation or reduced overheads. Understandably, sustainability has continued to move upwards on the agenda of most companies; it is now widely regarded as fundamental to any successful organisation. There are many ways a business can adopt sustainable practices. The use of green energy, working to reduce emissions or simply cutting down on unnecessary printing are just a few initiatives typically implemented by businesses to reduce their environmental footprint. But for the First Choice Group, the UK’s leading stockist of genuine OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) parts for the foodservice industry, their sustainable journey started with the effective management of surplus, slow moving or redundant items that were consuming warehouse space and ultimately preventing First Choice from achieving optimal operational productivity. In need of a compliant, effective and sustainable asset management solution, the First Choice Group approached Ramco in the summer of 2019 in the hope of implementing a reliable and established process for the removal of unwanted goods. Since then, Ramco has arranged regular collections amounting to over 200 lots comprising of a large variety of foodservice equipment parts. All items were effectively and efficiently repurposed, reused and resold, with First Choice receiving a financial return from the sale of their goods. This initiative extends the product lifecycle of resources, ensures that they retain their value and, above all, prevents the goods from being unnecessarily scrapped or sent to landfill. In doing so, the First Choice Group were able progress away from the typical ‘throw-away’ culture that we have all become so accustomed to, making a significant contribution towards reducing their environmental footprint. Combined with a considerable reduction on waste, the leading foodservice equipment business has been able to minimise their storage and disposal costs, ultimately creating a more eco-friendly, productive and competitive operation. Julian Fisher, Head of Marketing at First Choice Group said “never have sustainability & environmental concerns been more prominent than in today’s business world. We’re pleased to form a close working partnership with Ramco who, through the effective reuse and resale of unused materials, have provided us with a safe, sustainable and future proof solution for the removal of surplus assets.”