Our Environmental Commitment

Doing better, one practical step at a time

At Burdens, we know that running a large business comes with an environmental footprint.

With stores, warehouses, vehicles, suppliers and thousands of products moving through our business, we have a responsibility to look at how we operate and find practical ways to reduce waste, conserve resources and make better use of what we already have.

We don't believe sustainability needs to be complicated. Some of the biggest improvements come from simple decisions made every day: reuse something instead of throwing it away, recycle what can be recycled, reduce unnecessary waste and give products a second life wherever possible.

We're continually looking for ways to improve, and these are some of the things we're already doing.

Powering our stores with the sun

Solar power is installed across approximately 90% of our stores, helping reduce our reliance on grid electricity and the environmental impact of powering our sites.

We also use low-energy LED lighting across our stores and facilities.

Our warehouse lighting is LED, while outdoor lighting is operated using sensors to help avoid unnecessary energy use.

It's a simple approach: use less energy where we can, and generate more of the energy we use ourselves.

Reuse before recycle

One of the simplest ways to reduce waste is to avoid creating it in the first place.

Where possible, we reuse packaging that comes into our business, including:

Cardboard cartons
Bags
Protective foam
Other suitable packaging materials

We also reuse pallets wherever practical. Pallets that can be returned to suppliers are returned, while others are reused internally. When a pallet has reached the end of its useful life, we recycle it into firewood rather than sending it to landfill.

We believe packaging and materials should have as many useful lives as possible before they become waste.

Recycling done properly

We actively separate recyclable materials throughout our business and use dedicated recycling waste streams wherever possible.

Our stores and facilities separate recyclable materials from general waste so that materials can be recovered and reused rather than unnecessarily ending up in landfill.

We also work with metal recyclers to ensure unsellable metal products and materials are recovered.

This includes:

Unsellable metal items
Metal offcuts
Aged metal goods
Ex-display items that cannot be sold
Other metal products at the end of their useful life

Rather than treating these items as rubbish, we look for the next useful destination for the material.

Giving products a second life

Not everything that can no longer be sold as new needs to be thrown away.

Where possible, we aim to find a new owner for products that are damaged, discontinued, odd stock or ex-display.

Our clearance program helps us find customers for products that might otherwise sit unused or ultimately become waste.

We also reuse showroom displays wherever possible, rather than replacing everything when a showroom changes.

For us, this is about extending the useful life of products and materials for as long as possible.

Helping customers use less water

As a plumbing and bathroom business, we have an opportunity to influence more than just our own environmental footprint.

The products we sell can have an impact on water consumption for years after they leave our stores.

Our water-using bathroom products are WELS rated and designed to help customers make water-efficient choices.

From showers and tapware to toilets and other bathroom products, choosing water-efficient products can help reduce household water consumption over the life of the product.

We believe sustainability shouldn't stop at the showroom door. Helping our customers make better choices is another important part of reducing environmental impact.

A paperless Support Centre

Our Support Centre operates as a paperless office, with customer statements and other communications sent digitally wherever possible.

Reducing unnecessary printing means using fewer paper resources and less physical storage, while also making information easier to send and access.

It's a small operational change, but multiplied across a large business, these everyday decisions add up.

Extending product life

We believe one of the simplest ways to reduce waste is to keep products working for longer.

Where products include technology or electrical components, we actively promote extended warranty options where appropriate. These can give customers additional protection and support the continued use of a product rather than replacing it prematurely if something goes wrong.

For us, sustainability isn't only about what happens to a product when it reaches the end of its life. It's also about making products last as long as possible in the first place.

Repair, maintain, reuse and replace only when necessary.

We don't have it all figured out

We know there is more we can do.

Environmental responsibility isn't a box we can tick and move on from. It's an ongoing process of looking at how we operate, identifying waste and finding better ways to use our resources.

We're continuing to look for practical opportunities to: