Amco: Our ISO 14001:2015 story

Founded in 1983, Amco Services specialise in the supply of UK, European and International warehousing and logistics services to the manufacturing, automotive, engineering, FMCG, waste and environmental industries.

A great proportion of what Amco does is linked to the automotive sector and their understanding of the needs of this particular market. This has drawn international brands to seek its services; among these are Sertec, Futaba, Denso, JLR, BMW, Ford, GM and Morgan Motor Company.

Amco has achieved ISO 9001:2015 Quality management systems certification and being environmentally focused is a daily part of the organisation’s activities across their UK (Redditch and Telford) warehouse locations.

Steps towards certification

I considered going for certification when I learned that that the environmental management of Amco’s warehousing was almost up to ISO 14001:2015 standard. I consulted the Amco board of directors and explained the benefits that would amplify the good work and processes already in place regarding all things environmental. From my research, I also found that customers such as BMW, Jaguar Landover, Bentley, and others, like to work with businesses with similar mindsets and attitudes towards the environment.

The Amco board backed the plan and took the decision to strive for ISO 14001:2015 certification – to formally demonstrate that Amco will continue to reduce waste and increase its recycling credentials while demonstrating a commitment to protecting the environment by implementing this global standard. 

Achieving ISO 14001:2015 would enable us to meet our legal obligations, as well as building trust with customers, suppliers and staff. A timescale and budget were agreed, and the process began.

Amco implemented the required changes across the three warehouse sites, improved drainage identification and formalised processes for air quality monitoring, particle testing, noise and dust monitoring, and was set for auditing and certification. Some investment inevitably had to to be made, but because existing good practice and equipment were already in place, the timeframe and costs were drastically reduced.

One of our key achievements has been in recycling. My team had been recycling and cardboard bailing for almost three years and had moved their waste contract to B&M Waste Services, a carbon neutral company that divert all their waste from landfill. The waste that is collected here gets turned into refuse derived fuel (RDF) and is taken to an RDF plant in Dudley where it is incinerated and converted into energy that goes back into powering the Midlands. This means Amco is now a zero waste to landfill company.

Business benefit

Protecting the environment is important to the company and we have been conscientious and diligent for years, but we now recognise the importance of certification as a real business benefit.

Many of our customers and suppliers have specific EMS and Environmental objectives and the implementation of ISO 14001 policies enables us, as a global logistics business, to demonstrate and prove to staff, customers and suppliers across our whole supply chain proposition, that Amco Group are committed to reducing our impact on the global environment. 

Don Mucci, Managing Director at Amco, said: “We are in an extremely competitive sector wherever we operate across the globe, and businesses like ours face increasing pressure from customers, suppliers and governments to look at the impact our activities have on the environment. Thanks to Spencer, Amco now has ISO 14001:2015 certification, and this is the easiest and most transparent way to demonstrate our commitment and further increase and strengthen our business reputation. ISO 14001 will not just continue to save us fuel, reduce waste, energy and water consumption, but will help us to become a first-choice supplier.”