1. Purpose and scope
Chefs Bay Hospitality Limited operates a small office-based staffing business. Our environmental footprint is concentrated in office operations, business travel, and the procurement choices we make for IT and supplies. This policy sets out what we commit to doing within that scope and what we do not claim to do.
It applies to:
- The Chefs Bay office
- Office staff and contractors
- Business travel commissioned by Chefs Bay
The host kitchens where our chefs work sit within each host’s own environmental compliance system, not within ours.
2. Regulatory framework
- Companies Act 2006 section 172, the directors’ general duty to consider environmental impact in decision-making
- Environment Act 2021, including the Simpler Recycling reforms for workplaces of 10 or more full-time equivalent employees
- Climate Change Act 2008 as amended, the national framework setting the 2050 net-zero target
- Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2011 with the duty of care under section 34 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990
- Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations 2013
Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting (SECR) under the Companies (Directors’ Report) and Limited Liability Partnerships (Energy and Carbon Report) Regulations 2018 applies to large quoted companies, large unquoted companies, and large LLPs. Chefs Bay does not meet those thresholds and has no statutory SECR reporting duty.
3. Our commitments
We use registered waste carriers for any office waste removed from our premises, and we retain transfer notes for the statutory two years. We segregate waste electrical and electronic equipment from general waste and dispose of it through authorised collectors. We apply the waste hierarchy when making procurement decisions: prevent waste first, then reuse, recycle, recover, dispose.
Worker contracts, client agreements, timesheets, and onboarding documentation are issued and signed digitally. The single paper exception is the original DBS certificate that staff bring to client sites on their first day, in line with our Safer Recruitment policy.
Where possible, we match chefs to placements within their travel-to-work area to reduce commute distance. We accept that this is not always possible, and we do not claim a fixed percentage figure until we have a reliable measurement system in place.
4. Measurable commitments
We hold the following commitments, reviewed annually:
- 100% of client agreements and worker contracts issued and signed digitally
- 100% of waste transfer notes retained for the statutory two years
- 100% of office WEEE disposed of through authorised collectors with retained records
We do not currently measure office energy consumption or business travel emissions because the office is run as a serviced workspace where utilities are part of the landlord’s contract. As we grow into our own premises, we intend to begin baseline carbon measurement under a voluntary alignment with the SECR methodology.
5. How we deliver
Procurement. Office consumables and IT equipment are bought with weight given to durability, repairability, and end-of-life recyclability. Single-use plastic items in the office are kept to the practical minimum.
Travel. Office staff are encouraged to use public transport, cycling, or car-sharing where practical. Client meetings are held remotely by default, with travel reserved for placements and assignments that genuinely benefit from physical presence.
Digital operations. Recruitment, scheduling, payroll, and client communication run through digital systems. The intent is operational efficiency first, with the reduced paper consumption a direct consequence.
Waste segregation. The Liscard office is below the 10-FTE threshold for Simpler Recycling, which means the new workplace separation rules apply to Chefs Bay from 31 March 2027 rather than 31 March 2025. We will adopt Simpler Recycling segregation in advance of that deadline rather than waiting for it to apply.
6. Voluntary alignment
We align our policy structure with ISO 14001:2015 (environmental management systems) at a level commensurate with a small office-based business. We do not currently hold ISO 14001 certification, and we do not claim to.
Where IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards become applicable to our scale of business in future, we intend to align reporting accordingly.
7. Roles and responsibilities
The Managing Director owns this policy and the section 172 director duty that underpins it. Office staff are responsible for following waste-segregation, procurement, and travel guidance set out in our internal procedures.
8. Reporting concerns
Concerns about Chefs Bay’s environmental practice should be raised to contact@chefsbay.co.uk in the first instance. Where a concern relates to a protected disclosure under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998, including a deliberate breach of environmental obligations, write to hr@chefsbay.co.uk. Disclosures are treated in confidence and protected from detriment.
External regulatory routes are the Environment Agency for environmental incidents, the Information Commissioner’s Office for data-protection concerns, and the relevant local authority for waste-management complaints.
9. Review
This policy is reviewed every 12 months, or sooner if legislation, statutory guidance, or operational practice changes materially. The next scheduled review accounts for the Simpler Recycling threshold applying to Chefs Bay from 31 March 2027.
10. Sign-off
Approved by:
Michael Szalaty
Managing Director, Chefs Bay Hospitality Limited
Date: 6 May 2026
Chefs Bay Hospitality Limited · Companies House 13588811 · VAT 389155944 · ICO ZB226754
Registered office: 1 Queen’s Park Road, Handbridge, Chester, CH4 7AD Operational base: Liscard Business Centre, 188 Liscard Rd, Wallasey, CH44 5TN
Policy CB-POL-005 · Version 2.0 · Effective 6 May 2026 · Next review 6 May 2027
