Southampton: Paris Smith commits to environmental policies
Law firm Paris Smith LLP has announced three pledges for its 200th anniversary year as part of its commitment to the environment.
The firm, which has offices in the centres of Southampton and Winchester, is installing a modern bike rack in its office car parks to inspire and enable staff to cycle to work. The firm, which funds the cost of weekly pilates and exercise sessions for its staff as part of its wellbeing programme, has joined the Southampton Area Travel Plan Network, the focus of which is to help reduce the carbon footprint of commuting in Southampton.
The firm is also committed to reducing printing and copier paper usage by 10% in 2018 by taking advantage of improved technology available in the legal profession.
The third commitment is to reduce the amount of single-use plastic in the firm by at least 60% in 2018.
To achieve the plastic reduction target, the firm has supplied all its partners and staff with a reusable coffee/water cup.
Roja Jalilian, a member of Paris Smith’s environmental committee, said: “We had been ordering plastic cups bimonthly which were used at machines for drinks throughout the offices. By providing our staff with a reusable cup suitable for both hot and cold drinks, we shall make huge reductions in our use of single-use plastic across the firm.
"Single-use plastic cups/bottles are both expensive to produce, use up valuable natural resources to make and transport and create a vast amount of waste. Simply recycling isn’t the answer. Statistics show that in the UK an estimated 800 plastic bottles a minute are either ending up in landfill or as litter, which often finding their way into our waterways and out to sea. We are committed to playing our part in reducing the plastics waste.”
