Environmental impact Low
Employer/employee ranking 25/32
Staff numbers 385
Energy reduction 0%
Recycling 0%

As a fourth generation family-owned business, Pindar Set knows all about sustainability and the need to invest time and resources for the benefit of future generations. George Arthur Pindar joined the parent company in the 1870s, taking it over at the turn of the century. Today his great-grandson heads up the Scarborough-based group that includes Pindar Set, which processes the adverts and pages that make up Yellow Pages and Business Pages in the UK and the Yellow Book directories in America.

Pindar Set, winner of two Green Apple awards for environmental best practice, sets the tone for its 385 employees by buying renewable energy, using energy-saving equipment, buying its materials from sustainable sources and donating old computers to schools or the Third World. Pindar’s approach relies on individuals within its organisation embracing its green policy to deliver improvements through its environmental action group, ideas scheme and communications forum. The firm sets targets for paper and toner recycling and reducing CO2 emissions.

The company works with charity Earthwatch to implement its environmental change management programme. Pindar, known for its yachting sponsorship, is acting as an “ocean ambassador” for the charity, promoting its Sustainable Oceans programme through its sailing initiatives.

It seems to be paying off. Workers think the firm’s environmental impact is improving, earning it a green score of 82%, and they are fully supportive of its eco efforts, which they believe are worth the money invested in them (86%). Pindar has also undertaken an environmental audit to assess its initiatives and share good practice.

In addition to staff environmental training, the company uses posters and stickers on equipment to ensure employees think green, and the firm gets a score of 78% for encouraging this.

However, there is room for improvement. Most of the workforce travels to work by car, earning the organisation a green score of just 28% on this point and staff are unsure whether their pension fund has an ethical investment policy (48%).

Company chairman Andrew Pindar is open to suggestions for any ideas which would reduce the firm’s impact on the environment (83%), and he encourages employees to recycle (78%).