EnviroSmart programme kicks in
GAINING AN EDGE
Effective environmental management systems can provide companies with a competitive edge in business. They can result in significant cost savings, provide assurance of legislative compliance and improve company systems.
The EnviroSmart programme is delivered by Landcare Research. Twenty-two councils in nine regions are sponsoring the programme. In this instance,Aggregates and Engineering are being subsidised by Manukau City Council.
GOING FOR SILVER
To date both companies have been audited by EnviroSmart and achieved Enviro-Mark®NZ level three bronze certification.
They are working towards silver level certification and, ultimately, for gold status. Staff in both companies have received site support and advice from an EnviroSmart consultant and attended a range of EnviroSmart workshops to access training in the area of environmental management.
Stevenson Aggregates assesses its sustainability rating
Stevenson’s Drury and Huntly quarries are both participating in the EnviroSmart programme.
‘Our staff are totally on board regarding the importance of recycling,’ says Robin Barker, Projects Co-ordinator and EHS Co-ordinator at Drury Quarry. ‘To attain EnviroSmart bronze level certification we had to ensure that our health and safety systems and hazard identifications were in place.
‘We’ve been recycling all of our paper, cardboard, bottles and plastic for some time. We looked at the management of our discharge of water and air and made minor changes to protect our storm water. We’ve also constructed concrete bunds (walls) around our fuel storage area to ensure that any potential oil and diesel spillage is contained.’
Meeting silver level requirements has involved a risk assessment process, from drilling and blasting to product delivery. This includes assessing and identifying:
• Potential depletion of resources resulting from our activities
• Our effect on neighbours
• Our impact on waterways and aquatic life
• Emissions that could contribute to global change
• Our energy use and emissions to air
• Materials storage and its potential to contaminate storm water if there is a spillage
Drury quarry already recycles a considerable amount of its water at its processing plant. ‘We clarify it, recycle it and reuse it. Last September we commissioned a truck wheel washer so that our trucks do not contribute dust and dirt to the roads and atmosphere. I think we’re pretty proactive in our environmental concerns,’ says Robin. ‘We’re also looking at ways to save fuel and power.’
A question of oil at Stevenson Engineering
Stevenson Engineering has implemented a resource efficiency programme to reduce its solid waste and use its energy more efficiently,
to meet its EnviroSmart® objectives.
The company has also put systems into place to responsibly dispose of its waste materials, namely waste oil and old batteries.
WASTE OIL DISPOSAL AND RECYCLING
Clean (non-contaminated) oil is drained into the waste collection tank in the garage lube bay. The clean oil is pumped into a large holding tank outside the workshop.
This is collected by a contractor and either re-refined or used in glasshouse heating.
Oil and grease (contaminated oil waste/redundant oil are collected in an oil separator pit. The oil is separated from the water as the oil floats to the top of the interceptor pit pond.
The water is drained off the bottom of the separator tank as each of the three separator chambers are filled. The water is drained off into grey water sewerage. The leftover oil is then drained by a third party contractor for recycling. The waste oil is treated at Transpacific Industries’ East Tamaki hazardous waste facility, which produces demineralised oil for the Auckland fuel market.
DISPOSING OF CAR BATTERIES
A purpose-built area has been set aside at the rear of the heavy plant workshop for the re -charging and also the disposal of batteries. Batteries designated for disposal are set aside within the container, collected by a third party contractor and removed from the workshop site. Batteries are then loaded into containers and sent overseas for recycling.
FURTHER INITIATIVES
‘At Stevenson Engineering’s East Tamaki workshop, initiatives are taking place with the involvement and enthusiasm of management and workshop staff, plus our hard working Safety Committee,’ says Engineering’s Technical Services Manager John Hamley. ‘To date these initiatives have included the recycling of oil, batteries, plastic containers, waste paper and cardboard. We’re also in the process of examining our other systems to see where efficiencies and gains can be made through the prudent use of our non-renewable resources, such as energy and water, to benefit future generations.’
Since writing this story, Stevenson Engineering and our Drury and Huntly quarries have all obtained Envirosmart Silver, and are now focused on what they need to do to further improve and obtain Gold.
