PRAISE FOR SOUTHAMPTON COMPANY'S ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION

CSG green pledge helps save threatened forests

An international conservation organisation has praised a Southampton company for the way it is helping to preserve threatened tropical forests and wildlife habitats.

The World Land Trust, a UK charity which funds land purchase projects in Asia, Central and South America, says waste management specialist Cleansing Service Group is making “an invaluable contribution” to the Trust’s work of protecting some of the world’s last remaining wildlife habitats by “standing firm” on environmental policies during the recession.

CSG, which has been based at Botley for 75 years, is one of the UK’s largest privately owned waste management groups. It operates across many sectors and its customers include Government departments, local authorities, major supermarket groups and utility companies. One of the company’s biggest customers is the energy giant EDF Energy.

The company linked with the Trust 20 months ago, pledging to reduce its carbon footprint by funding the purchase of two acres of tropical forest each time it completes a commission for EDF Energy, for whom it collects and processes hazardous waste.

CSG has just completed the funding of its 40th acre, helping WLT in its bid to save precious habitats and their biodiversity forever. So far, WLT has funded the purchase of nearly 400,000 acres of habitat and its wildlife which would otherwise have been lost. The land is protected in the form of nature reserves and is managed by local organisations.

Trust chief executive John Burton said: “Cleansing Service Group is making an invaluable contribution to our work by pledging regular funds that help us plan for the future. We are extremely grateful to them for their support which demonstrates real commitment to the environment.

“We believe it’s important to work with companies to improve their environmental accountability, and CSG’s contribution is another example of how the business world is taking threats to the planet very seriously.

“It’s reassuring that during a time when businesses are reorganising their priorities for a difficult economic time ahead, they are standing firm on green policies.”

CSG managing director Paul Quigley said: “Sustainable waste management has become a key factor in environmental protection and we accept we have a responsibility for protecting the natural environment as a priority.


“Transporting waste by road is inevitably a major part of our work. Linking with the World Land Trust in this way not only helps mitigate unavoidable carbon emissions created by our contract with EDF Energy but helps save some of the world’s most critical habitats and their endangered species, too.”