Mylands Paints, since 1884
Key facts on Mylands
| Campus | 5 buildings |
| Built | 19302 to 1960s |
| Size | 1,717 sqm |
| Employees on site | 45-50 |
| Use and tenure | Commercial office and owned |
| Sector | Manufacturing |
Mylands is Britain’s oldest paint manufacturer, with products that have featured in film, television, and theatre productions from James Bond to Downton Abbey. The business was founded in 1884 in Lambeth, where it is still headquartered, on a five-building site.
The Station to Station Business Improvement District (BID) connected Mylands to the Mayor’s Business Climate Challenge (BCC), which appealed to the company as a way to work toward its environmental goals. Through the programme, Mylands felt it could take environmentally-friendly actions that would both reflect its values and enhance its marketing and business competitiveness.
Business Climate Challenge journey
Mylands appreciated how the BCC’s energy efficiency recommendations were specific to the different buildings across their site, giving them the tailored guidance that they needed to take action.
The Mylands team valued building their climate knowledge and having opportunities to network with other climate-focused businesses through the BCC’s support network and trainings.
It’s not just about saving money. Educating our staff is such a big part of our climate goals. Now that we’ve started our journey, and with the Business Climate Challenge support, we have the potential to do a lot more.
Energy and building improvements
Mylands took early steps to implement its BCC audit recommendations. The company secured planning permission for solar panels and is considering investing individually or via a community solar scheme.
The team’s leaders have also switched to a 100 per cent renewable electric supplier and installed more motion sensors for lighting. The company has even launched a cycle-to-work scheme, helping to shift the organisation’s culture around energy saving.
Mylands has valued the detailed data in the IO-Gen energy management dashboard, which it now relies on to see and diagnose unusual spikes in daily and weekly energy use – and, in turn, to begin to address those spikes through targeted interventions.
Business Climate Challenge priority recommendations
- Upgrade gas meters to smart meters.
- Increase operating temperature in server room.
- Install LED lighting with intelligent controls.
- Upgrade HVAC equipment.
- Install rooftop solar PV array.
- Automate shutters, install double-glazed windows.li>
- Replace air-driven agitators with electric equivalents.
- Replace gas air heaters with infrared heaters.
Total potential energy savings: 38 per cent per annum.
Next steps
- Implementing energy audit recommendations in the near term, like automated shutters, and planning linger term investments to reduce reliance on gas consumption.
- Integrating Mylands' climate commitment and actions into its marketing and sales strategies.
- Exploring hiring new, full time employees focussed on sustainability.
- Transitioning from diesel vans to electric bikes for local paint deliveries.
We’re quite excited about the future, because we’re developing new sustainable products that are less harmful to the environment. As part of that journey, we’ve been looking at other ways to focus on sustainability, and the Business Climate Challenge has been a great step.