Enviro-Mark®NZ News
The Enviro-Mark programme on TVNZ’s NZI Business programme, along with Enviro-Mark®NZ Diamond certified member Stevenson Engineering - 23rd April 2010
(left) The Enviro-Mark programme was featured on TVNZ’s NZI Business programme, along with Enviro-Mark®NZ Diamond certified member Stevenson Engineering. The news piece was about how companies from all industries can do their bit for the environment. Charlie Bartlett was also interviewed by the Channel 9 team in the wake of the free event Enviro-Mark team hosted along with the Dunedin City Council. The interview and some more information about this event are available on the Channel 9 website. |
Squiz NZ achieves Bronze-level Enviro-Mark certification - 01 Apr 2010
Squiz New Zealand recently passed an external audit to achieve Bronze-level Enviro-Mark certification.
Squiz achieved Bronze-level certification with the help of Greater Wellington's eMission programme, a one-year subsidised business sustainability and carbon reduction programme for businesses in the Wellington region.
Eco ethics guiding business decisions - 25th February 2010
Almost a third of businesses have sacked a supplier in the past year because they did not meet their environmental or ethical standards, research suggests.
A survey to be released tomorrow by the Business Council for Sustainable Development has found more than 27 per cent of business owners, managers and self-employed people had ditched a supplier for social, ethical or environmental reasons. For business owners the figure was higher at 35 per cent.
The national poll sought the views of 1955 business owners, managers and self-employed people, 336 of them business owners.
Business council head Peter Neilson said the results showed companies would be "silly" to ignore the wishes of nearly a third of the market, who wanted suppliers to help meet their customers' "deeply held" concerns.
To read more go to nzherald.co.nz
Greening the Gold Medals Vancouver Winter Olympics - 19th February 2010
The gold, silver and bronze medallions slung around winning athletes' necks as they step on to the winners' podium at the Vancouver Winter Olympic Games could well be made from the guts of an old Belgian computer.
The manufacturer of medals for this Olympics is for the first time incorporating token amounts of recycled material into the medals. Medals historically have been made of freshly mines ores.
The innovation – though largely symbolic – was directed by an Olympic organising committee which had vowed to put on the greenest games ever, raising the bar for London in 2012.
Organisers aimed to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 15% from business as usual. The nine new buildings constructed for the games set a new green standard for any complex of buildings in North America, drawing heat from the ocean and exhaust systems, incorporating green roofs and solar panels. The village for the athletes will be converted into housing when the games are over.
To read more go to guardian.co.uk.
Govt to consult with industry on Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) allocations - 14th December 2009
The Government has released a consultation document as a first step in the process of allocating emission units to industry under the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). The Government intends to give some emission units to firms that are carrying out activities that are emissions-intensive and trade-exposed. This consultation document outlines the Government's intended approach to implementing industrial allocation under the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme. Submissions close 5.00 pm 12 February 2010. The document, Development of Industrial Allocation Regulations under the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme can be downloaded from the Ministry for Environment .
Waste Minimisation Fund Now Open! - 1st December 2009
The Waste Minimisation Fund (WMF) has been set up to boost New Zealand's performance in waste minimisation. The WMF opened for applications today (1st December 2009). The first funding round will remain open for three months, closing on 1 March 2010. It will help fund waste minimisation projects that will increase resource efficiency, increase reuse, recovery and recycling, and decrease waste to landfill. All the information can be found at MfE's website.
Northland firm cleans up at green awards - 22nd September 2009
Northlands own international and personal care products manufacturer ecostore has cleaned up at the Sustainable Business Network awards for being an all-round class act. more.....
OfficeMax Scoops Double Gold at the Manukau Business Excellence Awards - 22nd September 2009
OfficeMax New Zealand has won Excellence in both the Manukau Water Environmental Management category and the ACC Workplace Safety category at the 2009 Westpac Manukau Business Excellence Awards held in Manukau City.
Up against stiff competition, OfficeMax won two Excellence Awards in what are described as the largest and most keenly contested regional business awards in New Zealand.
OfficeMax Managing Director Kevin Obern said, "Being environmentally conscious is not just about being a good corporate citizen, it makes good business sense too and we're delighted to have won this award and to be recognised for our environmental stance in the Manukau business community."
OfficeMax is hugely committed to environmental sustainability. From the design and construction of its Manukau based Head Office, its internal processes and the products OfficeMax sell all incorporate elements to minimise the effect they have on the environment.
"Looking after the environment for today and the next generation is not only the right thing to do, but it's the smart thing to do.
"We're also very fortunate that our staff rise to the environmental challenge and commit to the success of our business's environmental objectives Their attitude has allowed OfficeMax to meet and often exceed its environmental goals," says Mr. Obern.
OfficeMax's commitment to the environment has already been recognised by EnviroMark New Zealand.
"OfficeMax takes its environmental responsibilities very seriously," says Kevin Obern. "We're very proud that we obtained Enviro-Mark® Gold certification in 2008 and Diamond in 2009. It's a five-tier programme and we completed it in just two years. We've also held ACC tertiary status for the last three years."
OfficeMax's origins date back to 1871, and now supply almost everything that businesses need to function: furniture, technology products, cafeteria products, packaging, educational supplies, health and hygiene products and office supplies can be ordered online or by phone, fax, and from retail stores.
Press Release by OfficeMax at 10:28 am, 22 Sep 2009
First Aid for Workplaces. - 15th September 2009
Every year thousands of people are injured or fall sick at work - some seriously. A quick first aid response can mean the difference between life and death, or can reduce the severity of the injury. There is also a legal requirement for workplaces to provide first aid facilities. more.........
Hill Laboratories, first to strike Gold! - 9th September 2009
Hill Laboratories has long been aware of the importance of running a laboratory
in an environmentally friendly way. Not only is it good for wild life that
live in and around its laboratories and in the wider countryside, it is a
motivating factor for its staff. Most laboratory operations throughout New
Zealand have strict waste regulations that they need to comply with regularly,
but no other analytical laboratory in New Zealand has gone as far as gaining
gold certification as part of the Enviro-Mark program, an environmental initiative
managed by Landcare Research.
The Enviro-Mark program can be adopted by any organisation. “Essentially
it is an environmental management system to ensure you can operate in a profitable
and environmentally friendly way.”says Lucy Hodgson, Health and Safety
manager at Hill Laboratories. “This program has helped us to develop
a very effective EMS or environmental management system that the staff at
Hill Laboratories are proud to be involved with.”
Upon taking a closer look Enviro-Mark has helped improve our environmental
performance with for example the development of a new method for the digestion
of plant samples using microwave digestion . “This new method has dramatically
reduced the use of water and power, and it also reduces the amount of fumes
created. What is even better is this new method is also more profitable creating
a win all round” says Team Leader Caroline McDermid.
Over the next few years a whole range of initiatives shall be introduced at
Hill Laboratories to ensure we are continually monitoring and improving our
environmental management system that we have developed. .
“It has taken two years of hard work to become the first analytical
lab in New Zealand to gain Enviro-Mark gold certification. But it has been
worth it. There is a renewed sense of environmental responsibility within
the organisation and a real desire to ensure that we can be good environmental
citizens when we work for Hill Laboratories” says corporate services
manager Peter Astwood.
If you want to find out more about the Enviro-Mark program visit the Enviro-Mark
website at www.enviro-mark.co.nz
Press Release: Hill Laboratories Ltd - 9th September 2009
Enviro-Mark featured in CCEC Update magazine. - 9th September 2009
Enviro-Mark New Zealand business manager Charlie Bartlett, says the economic downturn has forced organisations to take a good look at their operations, and focus on what they could be doing to reduce waste and improve productivity.” more......
Meadow Mushrooms, building long-term sustainability. - 9th September 2009
At a time when many businesses are hunkering down, Meadow Mushrooms is continuing its tradition of sustainable growth and development. The company has recently embarked on major redevelopment of its Canterbury production facilities, more......
Streamlined resource management law passed - 9th September 2009
The Government has passed changes to improve the Resource Management Act that will untangle unnecessary red tape for New Zealanders and enable essential infrastructure to be built in a more timely way. more....
What makes a healthy business?. - 9th September 2009
The current economic climate, coupled with a global pandemic, has given businesses throughout the world a shake up. Despite relative geographical isolation, New Zealand businesses too have been affected, more......
Resene scoops $1m to make 'greener' paint. - 18th August 2009
Resene Paints has won $1 million of research and development services to create a world-first sustainable paint. Resene is the inaugural winner of What's Your Problem New Zealand?, a competition set up by the Crown Research Institute Industrial Research. more........
Diamond finish for Soar Print - 10th March 2009
Soar Print is drying the ink on the country’s highest level of environment-friendly credentials.
The Auckland printing services company has attained Enviro-Mark®NZ Diamond certification for its printing facilities, processes and product.
Diamond is the highest certification for the Enviro-Mark®NZ scheme, led by Landcare Research, which aims to help New Zealand businesses reduce their environmental impacts.
Soar Print is also the country’s first printer to reach diamond status, which is achieved through a third-party audit and also includes four previous levels: bronze, silver, gold and platinum.
Managing director Fred Soar says the certification took four years to achieve and is part of a range of environmental initiatives at the plant.
Steps have been taken to optimise its printing procedures and to reduce waste by recycling metals, chemicals, paper and water. Energy-efficient lighting and equipment is now used in the plant and shut down when not in use.
Soar Print uses paper derived from sustainable foresting and also prints on biodegradable plastics.
Fred Soar says vegetable oil-based inks are used 90 per cent of the time and the results are just as good as older petroleum-based inks.
The company’s recently installed, environmentally-friendly Anicolor printer will see it use even less power, paper and ink in the printing process, with paper savings expected to exceed 30 tonnes a year.
“We believe it’s possible to achieve environmental objectives without compromising quality and we’ve made a significant investment in this area to measure all our systems to ensure our impact on the environment is minimal,” says Fred Soar.
“We’ve made this effort to give our customers greater confidence
in the environmental credibility of our printed products.”
Enviro-Mark®NZ’s programme manager, Charlie Bartlett, says Soar
Print has led the way for the print industry in achieving diamond status.
“Fred and his team have made exceptional progress and are now one of
only ten companies in New Zealand with our highest level of accreditation.”
Media Release - 10th March 2009