Environmental, social and governance (ESG)
We started as an entrepreneurial family business and retain those core values today. We strive to be good people, act as a community with inclusion, and with a strong code of ethics and wellbeing. We feel a duty as a business and a team to respect the needs of society and provide a better world for future generations to inherit. We aim to work with both suppliers and customers to achieve this, whilst pushing the boundaries of science to provide solutions to the world’s environmental and human health issues.
Environmental
Our sustainability initiatives
As an internationally operating business, we are mindful of the impact we have on climate change and the planet.
Our over-arching sustainability goal is to minimise the environmental footprint of our operations, products and services. To attain that, we are committed to monitoring and reducing our waste, energy use, greenhouse gas emissions, and our consumption of natural resources.
Sustainable energy
We have our own photovoltaic (PV) solar energy system that generates up to 20% of the energy we use at our factory and HQ in Wales.
Greenhouse gas emissions
We are in the process of replacing our fleet vehicles in all geographical regions with more environmentally friendly vehicles and installing EV charging stations, for use by all employees and visitors where possible.
Also we are constantly monitoring and reducing personnel travel where possible, be that by train, plane or automobile. We are achieving this through investment in digital and virtual communication systems that enable us, for example, to troubleshoot for customers via sophisticated remote service setups. Similarly, we are rolling out remote customer support and instrument demonstrations.
Recycling and reducing landfill
We recycle as much of our waste as we can, in all of our sites. This includes everything from incoming packaging to separated recycling waste bins in our canteens and offices.
We are currently reducing the amount of packaging we use which is non- recyclable, with the overall goal of making all packaging 100% recyclable.
Reducing our consumption of natural resources
Our Business Operations team monitor our use of energy, water and paper, with the aim of reducing our consumption of natural resources. This is achieved through a myriad of micro-activities such as:
- Encouraging all staff on site to reduce, energy, water and paper usage
- Taking weekly reading and investigating any significant changes
- Installing dual-flush toilets & PIR sensors on urinals
- Installing PIR lighting systems
- Recycling our used ink and toner cartridges and using recycled inks and toner cartridges, where possible
- Setting all printer options to double-sided black and white (non-colour) as a default to save paper
- Where paper must be used, we only use FSC accredited, carbon neutral suppliers
- Continuous auditing and maintaining our buildings heating and cooling system at head office
SUFT
Markes has partnered with a sustainable reforestation project, Stump Up For Trees (SUFT). For every instrument we sell, we donate to SUFT both the cost of planting a tree, and the cost of monitoring it for 12 years in order to ensure it survives its pivotal sapling years, after which the trees officially become designated as woodland and are protected by legislation. We also give our people the time to help planting the trees during the season as a voluntary activity.
Social
Our people
We appreciate that our success is due to our people. Our position as market leaders comes from the award-winning expertise, innovation and professionalism of our entire team.
We strive to attract, motivate and retain empathetic, team-motivated and talented people. During the recruitment process, all qualified applicants are considered regardless of their race, colour, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability.
We are dedicated to creating an inclusive environment and culture, where people are recognised for what they deliver and bring to the team. We aim to ensure that working at Markes is rewarding, a challenge, provides development potential and is a safe place.
Since 2015 we have awarded ‘Long Service Awards’ which are presented to employees who reach ten years’ service with the company – and every subsequent five years thereafter.
In 2018 we awarded our first ‘Employee Recognition Awards’ presented to employees who have been nominated by a colleague or manager for going ‘above and beyond’ in their duties.
At the end of 2022, we started our ‘Schauenburg Analytics Annual Awards’, which are designed to recognise our teams and employees for their outstanding contributions and hard work during the past year. As well as recognising business achievements, the awards celebrate the positive impact that individuals have had on their colleagues, and their own personal accomplishments made during the year.
Our customers
We aim to mirror all of our internal values of being inclusive, innovative, empathetic and empowering to all of our customers, at all of our touchpoints with them.
In terms of our products and services, we believe that we enable our customers to protect and help the environment; our customers are government bodies, academic institutions and independent laboratories, many of whom rely on our instruments to identify and monitor hazardous chemicals in air, water and soil. Our instruments are also used in the medical research sector, to search for early biomarkers of disease.
Our suppliers
We work closely with our suppliers to make sure that their social and environmental policies align with our own. We ask them to sign-up to our diversity, health and safety, anti-slavery (‘modern slavery’), anti-bribery and corruption, and privacy policies.
Our communities
We encourage staff at all of our sites to support their local communities through charitable donations and activities. Over the past year (2022) our staff – both in their individual and employee capacities – have raised over £10,000 for the Wales Ape and Monkey Sanctuary, SANDS, Velindre Cancer Centre, Valley Kids, Alzheimer’s Society, Admiral Nurses, and The Little Princess Trust, through a variety of activities including organising a Discworld* themed adventure weekend, running the London Marathon, trekking, sponsoring the Forget Me Knot cross-Atlantic rowing crew, and holding fancy dress and bake sale days.
We also give staff at our HQ in Wales time off to plant trees as part of our SUFT initiative.
Governance
As a company, we uphold strong values and high standards. Our governance sustainability agenda comprises eight key areas:
Environmental
We are ISO 14001 accredited. Click here to see our certification.
Quality
We are ISO9001 accredited. Click here to see our certification.
Sanctions and customs
We are audited annually and comply with all UN, UK, EU and US sanctions and border requirements.
Diversity
We value and we respect the dignity, rights and autonomy of all. Click here to see our diversity policy, and here to see our respect at work policy.
Health and safety
All employees undertake regular health and safety training. Click here to read our policy.
Modern slavery
We have a zero-tolerance approach to all forms of modern slavery, including servitude, forced bonded and compulsory labour, and human trafficking. Click here to see our modern slavery policy.
Anti-bribery and corruption
All employees are trained to recognise where there may be risks of modern slavery and human trafficking within our business and our supply chains. Click here to see our Anti-bribery and corruption policy.
Privacy
We respect privacy and are committed to protecting any data we may hold on individuals. Click here to see our privacy policy.
