Making website design sustainable, a story

We've won a few awards for our websites over the years, and are now delighted to announce that we’ve also just won an award for our sustainability.

Here's our story…

Our sustainability and green practices started in 2019 when we became carbon neutral, ensuring that we offset all of our primary CO₂ using a Verified Carbon Standard, which was verified by Carbon Footprint.

Then, in 2020 the pandemic made us realise what was really important, crucially our families, and we wanted to leave a world for our sons and daughters. So, we decided to backdate our carbon emissions not only to where we were first incorporated in 2008, but to 2001 when we were established as a partnership… plus a little bit extra for any avoidance of doubt. We have therefore been lifetime carbon negative since we started 22 years ago.

In some ways the pandemic changed the business world for the better, for example making online meetings the 'new normal', reducing travel, reducing post and paper, and encouraging remote working. When the world finally emerged from the pandemic, we kept a lot of these practices helping our green effort even more.

Then, in 2022 we moved office, which was a great time to improve our insulation and windows, choose an energy supplier that uses 100% renewable energy, remove our gas heating, reduce water waste by installing toilets that reuse water from the sinks, installing a smaller more efficient electric boiler, replacing lights with LEDs, and at the same time going virtually paperless. It was a perfect opportunity for a fresh start.

We also started planting trees for new clients, and trying to (gently) spread the word by doing presentations about how easy the transition to becoming greener is.

A third of our staff currently work at home full-time, and we've signed up to the government’s cycle scheme to encourage staff to cycle to work. Following this, it seemed a small step to look at our suppliers, all the way from our website hosting companies, down to our tea, coffee and toilet rolls (which is a minefield).

In all honesty, none of these changes have individually been difficult or expensive to implement, but the old adage is true and that little by little, a little becomes a lot.

We are very proud to be the first company in Salisbury to be awarded the Gold Award for our engagement in sustainable practices by Green Business Association.

Obviously, this is just the start of our journey, and hopefully others will follow in our footsteps. We're more than happy to answer any questions about going green… or of course website design and development, and marketing.

We are Webbed Feet, we care about the planet that we leave behind for our kids.