Implementation of the 3Rs in every aspect of the event
We follow the 3Rs on a day to day basis - REDUCE, REUSE and RECYCLE.  Every member of The Ice Factor team has received training and is aware of the importance of monitoring our electricity usage and waste of materials, only using heater appliances when necessary and ensuring that all lights and other electrical appliances are switched off fully when not in use.

Focus on water conservation measures
Due to the nature of our event, we focus on our water conservation measures and aim to eliminate any unnecessary wastage of water.  New for this year, we are trialling a new water recycle system on the rink.  Excess water on the surface of the ice is collected by a small pump device, and then stored in our water-spraying equipment, which is used to resurface the ice and provide the ideal surface for skating on.

Environmentally friendly disposal of our Christmas trees
On site at The Ice Factor this year, we have 6 real Christmas trees in total, including York’s biggest Christmas tree standing 30ft tall.  After our season finishes on the 6th January, we will ensure that all of our Christmas trees are taken to be shredded and composted.

Introduction of a new booking system
We aim to run a paperless office system with booking confirmation being sent electronically via e-mail, reducing the amount of waste paper generated by our event.

Offsetting of our carbon emissions to become carbon neutral
We are the first ice rink in the country to offset the carbon emissions generated by our diesel use, through The CarbonNeutral Company (www.carbonneutral.com)  An in-depth study into the environmental impact of the event was taken, including a series of calculations for accuracy and transparency.  Following this, the equivalent of our diesel emissions has been invested into a variety of green projects, including methane capture and renewable energy ventures all across the world.  One example of the kind of enterprise our carbon credits have been involved in is the Rhine-Rhur Gas Power Projects, which have generated emission reductions of 385,500 tCO2 equivalent in 2006 and 2007.  These three combined projects capture methane from three abandoned coal mines in a region of Germany that has an extensive coal mining history dating back over 100 years.  As coal is mined, rock fractures and methane is released into the atmosphere, with no legal requirements to install methane abatement technology once the coal mines close.  Methane is 21 times more potent that CO2 as greenhouse gas, and these projects capture the escaping methane and use it to generate heat and electricity using Combined Heat and Power units to feed electricity to the grid and heat to a local district heating system. 
Another example of a project that has benefited from our carbon offsetting is the Guizhou Hydro Power Project in China and the Indian Hydro Power Project, through the construction of small and medium hydro power stations.  These power stations are contributing to the sustainability of China, India and the world as a whole, with both nations experiencing huge industrial growth in the last few decades, and are helping to overcome our heavy reliance on fossil fuels for electrical generation.