It has been a busy few months here at Levertons, and we are absolutely delighted to announce that we have just been awarded the Greener Globe Funeral Standard Gold Award, as a testimony to our sustainability and commitment to reducing environmental impact. In a profession where tradition and respect are paramount, here at Levertons we couldn’t be more proud to achieve this accolade.
Setting The Benchmark
The Greener Globe Funeral Standard (GGFS) is an organisation dedicated to promoting and encouraging sustainable practices within the funeral industry. They aim to guide funeral directors, funeral suppliers and crematoria towards reducing their carbon footprint and therefore the environmental impact. Achieving this Greener Globe Funeral Standard signifies our dedication to reducing our carbon footprint and using sustainable materials where possible.
There are three tiers of awards, Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum, all representing a different degree of commitment to becoming sustainably recognised.
- Step 1 - this is where an environmental policy is adopted by the business, and is the first step for any business looking to become more sustainable. This is where the Bronze Award is given.
- Step 2 - this is where a funeral director is required to complete a sustainability questionnaire in order to examine which parts of the business are already sustainable, and any areas that require extra work. There is an audit carried out by ISO 14001 auditors, resulting in either Silver, Gold or Platinum Awards.
- Step 3 - as well as receiving the award, the GGFS will provide a bespoke improvement plan to help funeral directors reduce their environmental impact moving forward.
Our Commitment To Green Practices
Levertons has been an independent family funeral directors since 1789, and greener funeral arrangements have been an integral part of our service for many years now. We have often worked on business efficiency and sustainability practices and are working better to formalise our efforts. We received the Bronze Award a few months ago and have since worked hard on achieving the Gold status. The receipt of both the Bronze & Gold award is a true reflection of our pursuit of a greener funeral offering, and is something we have strived to achieve for a little while now.
The audit process we had to undergo was rigorous, and included an assessment of our sustainability policies, the implementation of green initiatives and the overall impact we have on the environment as a company. We pioneered the UK’s first all-electric eco-hearse back in 2013, and in 2022 we took delivery of the first full-size electric Nissan hearse. This was part of our sustainability drive. We aim to work further to improve our sustainability efforts even more so that we can achieve the ultimate Platinum status.
The Impact of the Awards
Receiving these incredible Awards from GGFS is a real testament to the service we deliver here at Levertons, and definitely helps us align with like-minded clients who are looking for sustainable funeral directors. Operational efficiencies are an added benefit of us carrying out sustainable practices.
Of course the overarching goal is to help preserve the environment, and by carrying out sustainable practices, we are helping achieve that here at Levertons. If you would like to find out more about how we can give your loved one a sustainable send-off, get in touch with the team at Levertons.
