Environmental Policy

As a responsible manufacturer we care about our products and the impacts they make on the environment.

Our main production facility in Cottingham, East Yorkshire has been subject to large scale investment over the last decade. Starting with new CNC machinery to reduce waste, we also have full extraction systems to capture and recycle sawdust. This ensures the air is kept free from particles, and the tons of waste dust created are recycled into a number of different materials including pet bedding and paper.

In 2006, our new production facility was opened at Cottingham, which is a single manufacturing hall where all products on site are manufactured. This facility was designed to reduce lighting and heating costs and maximise natural daylight. In 2011 we opened a new access road into the Cottingham site. The new access road eases traffic congestion and noise through the nearby Cottingham village to our site every day.

We actively encourage our staff to share transport when coming to work and also encourage them to use cleaner means of transport. Following requests from our Works Council we are currently building a much larger 300 space bicycle shed to ensure those who wish to ride to work have somewhere safe and secure to park their bicycle.

How Swift is helping to reduce waste and energy consumption throughout the business

Waste Reduction and Recycling

  • All waste paper and cardboard is recycled throughout the business, from the offices through to production in the factory.
  • All timber waste, including sawdust, is recycled into a number of different materials.
  • All our timbers and plywoods are carefully chosen from recognised and independently approved sustainable managed sources.
  • Windows are delivered in specially-made crates which are then returned to the supplier to be refilled and used time and again.
  • All waste is segregated into separate streams, of which a significant proportion is recycled either by suppliers or recycling agencies.
  • Our company developed the use of returnable packaging within our industry for suppliers of manufacturing goods to reduce the amount of packaging and waste produced in our manufacturing process.
  • All plastics used in the build of our products over 100 grammes in weight are marked with their material type for recycling purposes. We produce a recycling manual for dismantlers of vehicles to work too.
  • The Swift Group (in accordance with the End of Vehicle Life Directive) does not use any heavy metals in its construction.

Fuel Efficiency

  • Reducing the weight and improving the aerodynamics of the group’s touring caravans and motorhomes is a key element in the design process to make them as light as possible, not only to be more fuel-efficient but also to cut carbon emissions that pollute the environment.

Energy Efficiency

  • Swift holiday homes are designed to be as energy efficient as possible.
  • Swift employs an ongoing energy conservation programme in the factory.
  • We were the first to pioneer the use of low energy LED lighting and have taken great strides in this area.

Why the Swift Group is helping the environment

“Recycling waste and reducing carbon emissions associated with the production and use of Swift’s touring caravans and motorhomes is a key part of our future strategy and has been for many years,” says Swift Managing Director James Turner.

“We ensure that environmentally-friendly methods of production are adopted, wherever possible, to minimise the impact on the environment and expect our suppliers to take the same approach.

“A well-preserved environment where people can continue to take their caravans and motorhomes and enjoy the experience of outdoor living, is imperative to the survival of our industry.

“That’s why we must do all we can now, to ensure that both the industry and the environment thrive for future generations.”