Improving efficiency and cutting waste
We use WCM to benchmark our top performing sites, capturing good practice and ensuring that it is applied systematically across the company. Improved technology has also helped cut waste, and we recycle close to 100% of material waste; the remainder is disposed of responsibly and in line with current regulations.
Chemicals and hazardous waste
The chemicals we use in our operations are subject to approval before introduction and their use is controlled and managed by environmental and safety staff at our sites. Any hazardous waste we produce is handled in line with local law and best practice. We apply the precautionary principle throughout our operations; so where a potential risk is identified we will seek to eliminate or reduce that risk by choosing a better alternative or implementing risk reduction measures.
All our sites, including converting and other production sites in Europe, also have obligations under EU REACH regulations covering the registration, evaluation, authorization and restriction of chemicals. Similar chemicals legislation is emerging in many other geographies and we are working continuously to ensure that our business, and the materials we use, are compliant. Colleagues responsible for chemicals at all sites are given training to understand how the REACH regulations apply to their activities
Water
The amount of water used for production on our own sites is modest. Nevertheless, we are constantly looking for opportunities to implement simple water saving measures, in particular in areas where water is scarce.
However, water usage is a significant consideration in relation to the equipment we develop and sell, so our efforts are focused on reducing consumption in this area, including through our Environmental Benchmarking Service and products such as the Water Filtering Station.
Independent certification
We use external certification in the form of the international environmental management standard ISO14001 to ensure that environmental issues and impacts are managed in a systematic way at our production facilities around the world.