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In this section: Environmental Accreditations| Environmental Impacts - Landfill| Environmental Impacts - Refuse Collection| Environmental Impacts - Resource Recovery Facility| Environmental Impacts - Office| Annual Report and Environmental Statement| 
The Standen Heath Landfill site was included as part of the contract awarded to Island Waste Services in 1997.A full Environmental Impact Assessment of Standen Heath was undertaken before any work commenced to prepare it as the Island's next landfill site. Wetland Area As part of this Assessment it was noted that the site contained an area of flush vegetation with some rare species of plant. In order to avoid losing these key species when landfill operations commenced this wetland was 'translocated' (moved) to an area outside the landfill boundary. A local environmental consultant manages this special wetland area, undertaking several visits each year. An Annual Report is produced on this wetland, detailing the species present and is forming the basis of some interesting research . It is hoped that in the near future this wetland area can be included into the general site tour. Birds Visitors to the landfill site will be familiar with the large number of birds (mainly gulls and corvids) that it contains. There are in fact many different species of gull on the site and, as a recent ornithological survey revealed, some are quite rare. Indeed, the bird life on site was a feature of the 'Really Wild Show' in early 2000. Furthermore, nest boxes have been placed on trees within the small copse on the site (Vipers Bog Copse), to help other species. In 2002 Appuldurcombe Falconry were introduced to the site. It is environmentally undesirable to allow birds to scavenge on the site and the Falcons scare the gulls, rooks and crows away very effectively indeed. 
BatsIn addition to the bird boxes bat boxes have also been placed in Vipers Bog Copse. This was as a result of a visit by staff from the Bat Hospital, using detectors to confirm that bats were present in and around the copse. It is hoped that by placing these boxes in the Copse the bats will be encouraged to stay and hopefully even breed. Trees and Squirrels A large number of native species of tree have been planted both in and around the site. Along the boundary with Long Lane the trees have been planted to form a screen. Trees have also been planted above the Composting plant to replace those lost when the facility was constructed. Vipers Bog Copse contains quite a large number of very old Hazel Trees that produce an abundance of nuts. A survey in 2003 revealed evidence that these are eaten by Red Squirrels , possibly travelling on to the site from Long Lane Plantation. Archaeology An ancient hedgerow that is believed to date back as far as the Bronze Age bisects the entire site. It is believed to be one of the last remaining sections of a hedgerow that divided the Island into two , starting at Kings Quay and ending at St Lawrence. In this respect it is of enormous Archaeological importance and is fenced off in order that none of the landfill operations affect any part of it. As part of the Company's ISO 14001 Environmental Accreditation there are other environmental issues that need to be addressed at all the sites and for all operations. More detail is provided on the other pages in this section and in the Company's Annual Report. The following sections demonstrate the company's achievements to date. Landfill There are several aspects of landfill operations that may have a significant impact upon the environment. These are water pollution, air pollution, dust, litter, noise, mud and pests. Click here for more information. Refuse Collection The collection of household waste will give rise to some environmental impacts. Click here for more information on refuse collection. The Resource Recovery Facility (RRF) There are several aspects of the operation of the RRF that could have an impact upon the environment. Click here for more information on the Resource Recovery Facility. The Office For environmental audit purposes the office environment has been assessed for the use of water, electricity, paper and the issue of suppliers has also been addressed. Click here for more information on the Office. Annual Report and Environmental Statement Every year since Island Waste Services began operating the Integrated Waste Management Contract on behalf of the Isle of Wight Council, the company have produced an Annual Service Brochure which gives details of the past year's activities for all operations ranging from Landfill to Collection. In May 2002, Island Waste Services was successful in obtaining certification for EMAS - the European Eco-Management and Audit Scheme. Part of this scheme involves producing an Environmental Statement which is a publicly available document giving detailed information on what we as a Company are doing in order to minimise our effect on the environment. These two publications have now been combined. To download a pdf version of the Annual Report and Environmental Statement, please click below. Download PDF (1.4MB) 
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