Supporting Responsible Consumption

Circular economy

Continue to explore reducing our environmental footprint and extracting more value from our products and properties to support the principles of a circular economy.
Explore how decommissioned electric vehicle batteries can be repurposed to store electricity from solar panels.
Continue to explore how we can upcycle redundant uniforms.
Expand the use of our biodigester by-product to other An Post sites.
Explore partnerships to upcycle our IT equipment at end of life for repurposing or reuse.
Explore options for redundant furniture with our move to a new headquarters.
Conduct a survey of the single use packaging used by our catering suppliers to further eliminate waste.

Launch reusable packaging that will have two adhesive strips but can be reused multiple times with a new label purchased at the Post Office. These labels could also be used with existing prepaid packaging, enabling reuse and reducing waste.
Continue to engage with the EPA on attaining a waste management license for circular economy initiatives.
Ensure that our waste management system in the EXO building is designed to help us to increase our recycling rates and ensures that electronic waste is collected and disposed of correctly.
Align with LEED certification to ensure that 15% of materials used in our office fit out in the EXO building are from recycled sources or are FSC certified.

Continue to investigate the most suitable landscaping for our sites and how we can improve measurement of biodiversity.
Launch a campaign to encourage employees to become involved in the National Biodiversity Data Centre’s monitoring programmes to increase available biodiversity data and information.
Carry out baseline surveys in key sites to establish what animal, bird and insect species are present and how best to encourage them as well as ensuring any landscaping does not disturb them.

Expand the scope of sustainability within our procurement processes by including accessibility, diversity and inclusion within the pre-procurement planning process, where appropriate. This will prompt conversations in relation to additional or specific needs of customers, employees and communities who may be accessing or using the goods and services being procured.