Why should your business become ISO 14001 certified?

An environmental management system takes a holistic approach to your business’ impact on the environment. It looks at how your organisation identifies, controls, manages, and monitors environmental issues. While there are different ISO standards that look at other elements, such as ISO 9001 for quality management, ISO 14001 specifically looks at your environmental policies and procedures.

In order for your organisation to become ISO 14001 certified, you’ll need to show proof that your organisation’s Environmental Management System meets the requirements for the standard. You’ll need to have a concise and clear mission statement that sets out exactly how you’re going to prevent pollution and protect the environment. You will also need to show how you plan to continuously work to these goals, including anything that might be a potential risk.

All of your production and environmental practices need to be assessed through internal audits. This ensures that they comply with all legal requirements. You’ll need to look at any machinery or equipment you have as well as any of your environmental plans. Look at any of your emergency plans, such as fire and flooding plans, and ensure that these procedures will have as little effect on the environment as possible.

Once you’ve created your environmental management system that meets the requirements, you’ll need to have it up and running and then approved by an ISO approved auditor. Then, if your system meets the requirements, you’ll be awarded with a certificate of registration. This is renewable for up to three years and then a new accreditation must be requested. Costs for certifications depend on who you use for your external audit and the turnover of your business. The larger your turnover, the more you’ll need to pay for certification and audits.

There are plenty of reasons why your business should consider becoming ISO 14001 certified.

With an ISO 14001 certification, you’re going to have to show that your business is making strides to reduce its environmental impact. If you’re already working towards a sustainability target in your business or outlining your CSR goals, having an ISO 14001 accreditation could be a place to start. Through cutting down the waste you’re creating and switching to renewable energy options, you’ll be reducing your business’ environmental impact. In this time of a climate emergency, it’s crucial that organisations are doing what they can to counteract the effects of climate change.

Becoming ISO 14001 certified is a great way to reduce your business’ costs. Through using an environmental management system, you’ll be reducing the amount of waste you’re producing. This cuts down on your waste management costs as the less waste you produce, the less collections you’ll need. Focusing on reducing your environmental impact by looking at choosing renewable energy instead helps you to cut down on your business’ energy bills too. Helping you to create all round savings for your business.

In a time where sustainability is a key driver in brand decision making, a commitment to sustainability can help your organisation to stand out. With more businesses looking to work with companies that align with their own sustainability goals, you’ll need to show that you’re working towards a sustainable future too. Having an ISO14001 accreditation can be used as proof that your business isn’t just saying that they’re sustainable, but that you have the systems in place to back it up. You’ll need to evaluate and reduce your environmental impact in order to get the certification, so you can use this to show key stakeholders and potential customers that you’re committed to sustainability.

While we don’t provide external audits for ISO 14001, we can support you on your journey to reaching this. As an ISO 14001 certified business ourselves, we know exactly what needs to be done. We can help you to reduce your waste and create a fully sustainable waste management plan to reduce your business’ impact on the environment. Want to switch to renewable energy sources to cut your carbon footprint? We can help with that too. We’re here to help you lay the foundations for your accreditation and help your business become more sustainable.

Want to become ISO 14001 certified but don’t know where to start? Our team can create a tailor-made waste management plan to cut your business’ environmental impact and carbon footprint to help you become certified. Get in touch today to find out more.