Enviro-Mark News Issue 6, September 2009
In this issue:
Editorial
Welcome to Issue 6, the September issue of our bi-monthly publication, Enviro-Mark News. There’s been plenty happening and the “winter of our discontent” seems to be making way for a lovely spring.
In this editorial I’d like to cover some of the themes that are emerging from our ever-expanding series of member case studies. These detail some the challenges our members have faced along the way – and highlight some of their successes.
Getting started
Although many of our new members have an awareness of environmental issues they don’t always know where to start when it comes to implementing a system and putting their ideas into practice.
Our regular hands-on workshops are an especially useful tool for those embarking on this journey for the first time – or for those wanting to upskill or update their knowledge before tackling the next stage of their environmental management system.
"A terrific starting point” was how Sue Elliott of The Caxton Press described a recent ‘Introduction to EMS - Bronze, Silver, Gold’ workshop. “I can’t imagine jumping in without having had this workshop – the process and the materials are much less intimidating now and there were great ideas offered that I wouldn’t find in the literature”. Thanks for the feedback Sue!
Challenging entrenched attitudes
Changing the thinking of some staff and other key stakeholders, such as suppliers, does take time. Although a few enthusiasts can promote change, it does take organisational commitment to achieve it as people have differing levels of enthusiasm for an EMS.
Getting visible senior management buy-in, and making the effort to get early ‘runs on the board’ engenders support and enthusiasm and will help to change perceptions from the inside out. It doesn’t matter what motivates people – whether it’s a passion for the environment, saving money or winning more business – other members of your team will also join in as they begin to see the real benefits being accrued. Not only will you get more support for your internal systems, your people will eventually have greater pride in their organisation overall. So stick with it!
Consistency across operations
Getting consistency across multiple locations within larger organisations can be challenging as different parts of the business also have differing priorities and pressures. To get consistent organisational progress, you need to appoint a company-wide EMS coordinator – this often sits naturally with someone who has a national Environment/ OHS focus or role – and you also need EMS champions at each site to help drive local change and to share their ideas (and often, the workload).
Planned investment
There’s an old Chinese proverb that says “man on top of mountain didn’t fall there". A successful EMS takes commitment in terms of staff time and investment in regular audits and ongoing membership of the programme. As Sean McMahon, the Managing Director of Southern Colour Print says the best advice is to allocate the resources and implement the programme quickly. “The savings will pay for the programme many times over.”
So make sure to allocate time and budget for your environmental management systems and initiatives.
Please forward any press releases, news articles or clippings that demonstrate your organisations progress to me. We’d love to be able to share these resources with fellow members and to help you to promote your good work. We’ll also be selecting news highlights to add to the home page of our website www.enviromark.co.nz (check it out)
Until next time!
Kristin Flanagan
Enviro-Mark®NZ Membership Manager
In the (Biz)zone
Enviro-Mark Business Manager, Charlie Bartlett had assistance with the ecostore prize draw from the OfficeMax gorilla. That’s Charlie on the right!
Since our last newsletter in July we’ve exhibited at two further Bizzone Expos(Wellington 22-24 July and Christchurch 5-7 August). It was great to catch up with some of our existing members and to meet so many people, at both locations, who were interested in business and environmental issues.
Our Environmental Consultant Kim Kelleher also helped us to raise our profile by presenting during the National Bank Seminar Series on the topic: Easy steps to make you more efficient and win work.
Courtesy of Eco Tech Solutions we had 12 ecostore prize packs to give away in our prize draw. The lucky recipients were:
Wellington
1. Sharon Drayton, Biobuild Group ltd
2. Courtney Peck
3. John Cumming, John Cumming Consulting
4. Lynn Love, Wellington Business Forms
5. Yianni Doucas, Zone Corporation
6. David Long, Meridian Energy
Christchurch
1. Renee Burns, Antarctica NZ
2. Gary Prest, Blueboxconsulting
3. Janet Connochie, Chemsafety
4. Jenny Cunningham, Circleworks Ltd
5. Cheryl Cottle, Brackenridge
6. Giselle Chapman
Auckland EnviroSmart Programme
P J Greenaway, the Environment, Health and Safety Systems Advisor explaining the environmental journey undertaken by the Stevenson Group.
The successful completion of the EnviroSmart programme for participating businesses in the Auckland region was marked at a recent function at the Ponsonby Cruising Club. EnviroSmart was a two-year programme supported by local councils, with certification provided by Enviro-Mark.
Membership Manager, Kristin Flanagan, who attended the cocktail function with Auditor, Mike Farrier, enjoyed hearing the presentations from a range of quite diverse businesses who shared a common goal – getting to Enviro-Mark Gold within 2 years.
“It was great to see these business being recognised and enjoying their achievements. I’m looking forward to seeing their ongoing progress - and to helping them build on their success.”
Members Update
OfficeMax (see the Member Profile in this edition) has become the first office products company in New Zealand to achieve Enviro-Mark Diamond certification. The company’s sustainability focus was cited as a key factor in it winning a recent $4m Government contract.
Delta in Dunedin, had their achievement in becoming the first landfill in New Zealand to attain Enviro-Mark Silver certification recognised in an article in the Otago Daily Times.
Hill Laboratories have become the first analytical laboratory in New Zealand to achieve Enviro-Mark Gold certification. The company has significantly reduced its use of water and electricity, and set new standards in waste management.
Resene has been in the news for winning a $1m research and development contract to create a world-first sustainable paint. The waterborne paint will be based on resins made of 80 per cent sustainable ingredients.
For the full articles, where available, see our home page at www.enviro-mark.co.nz
Welcome to the following new members: CPIT, Downer EDI Lower Hutt, Sandvik, RLA Polymers, TelarcSAI, Safety and Apparel, The Caxton Press
Congratulations to these members who have recently been certified:
| Recreational Services Ltd | Diamond |
| Smith & Nephew Ltd | Diamond |
| Hill Laboratories Ltd | Gold |
| Resene Paints Ltd | Gold |
| Elastomer Products Ltd | Gold |
| York Paper Company Ltd. | Gold |
| Foster Construction Ltd | Gold |
| Livingstones - The Hub Hornby | Silver |
| ABC Tissue Ltd | Silver |
| Waipa Networks | Silver |
| Service Printers Ltd | Bronze |
| Print House | Bronze |
Seminar and Workshop update
If you are based in Auckland or the Waikato, check out our upcoming training workshops and drop-in sessions. These events are a great opportunity to learn more about environmental management and give your company’s EMS efforts a real boost.
The Auckland sessions are 23-24 September, and the Hamilton sessions are 21-22 October.
Important Note
An update to the Bronze Checklist & Guidance Notes is coming soon. We are presently updating our Bronze-level materials to make them easier to use, and to ensure they reflect the current environmental and occupational health and safety legislation. It is important that Bronze certification continues to be central to your legal compliance tools. If you have any questions in the interim, please give us a call.
WasteMINZ Conference
If you will be attending the WasteMINZ Conference in Christchurch 14-16 October 2009 check out the presentation by Enviro-Mark’s very own Environmental Consultant Kim Kelleher on “Comparing Apples with Apples – the value of environmental management system certification”.
The Green Advantage
Those in the printing industry should keep an eye out for our upcoming ‘Green Advantage’ promotional campaign. As we explained in the last edition, we have partnered with PrintNZ to promote Enviro-Mark to its 700 members.
Free Tauranga Seminar – “Positioning your business for a sustainable future”
In conjunction with the Tauranga Chamber of Commerce (Seminar After 5) – Kim Kelleher, will be presenting a free seminar covering the benefits of having an environmental management system and how to use this to advance your business towards more sustainable operations.
It’s on Tuesday 20 October at 5.30pm, so if you’re in the region, make sure you check it it out. You’re welcome to bring friends, clients and suppliers along to hear the presentation, you simply need to register to attend. Email: registrations@tauranga.org.nz
Waste Report Card
More than three million tonnes of waste went to landfill in New Zealand in 2006. The Waste Report Card is the latest in a series of ‘National Environmental Report Cards’ being produced by The Ministry for the Environment.
Enviro-Mark - Business Profile
Enviro-Mark was profiled in the latest edition of Canterbury Employers’ Chamber of Commerce Magazine - Update.
Greenwash
At Enviro-Mark we are very conscious of ‘greenwash’ – the promotion of dubious environmental credentials. If you share these concerns, you may find this website interesting: www.sinsofgreenwashing.org.
Member Profile: OfficeMax
Progressive office products company, OfficeMax, has become the first business of its type in New Zealand to achieve Enviro-Mark Diamond certification. Enviro-Mark Programme Manager, Charlie Bartlett talked to OfficeMax National Health, Safety and Environment Coach, Julie Roberts about their success.
What has been the key to the success of your environmental management system (EMS)?
We have Triple R (Reduce, Reuse and Recycle) Champions throughout the business who drive the message home. They are a great bunch of employees who have volunteered to take on these roles. They are passionate about making a difference and really want to lead the way.
All our executive managers are enthusiastic about effective environmental management and endorse what the champions and I want to achieve. Having senior managers who really embrace the vision and desired outcomes for the business is important for getting staff on board.
Part of our success is that a large proportion of our staff really do want to make a difference. In general our people feel they have a responsibility towards caring for the environment. So we have included that in our communication, programmes and business practices.
What has been the most challenging aspect?
Ensuring that the procedures and training are consistent at all our sites is challenging. Ensuring programmes are completed at the same time is a challenge as you have to try to align everyone’s priorities. Consistent communication also requires real attention.
What advice would you give to anyone else starting out on the EMS journey?
Buddy up with a company that has achieved your desired outcomes. It’s great being able to share, help and work through those challenges, and learn from other organisations’ mistakes and successes. It can also seem like there is so much to do and you wonder where to start. So breaking it down into bite-sized pieces is always helpful.
What are some of your EMS achievements?
Our comprehensive nationwide programme to reduce energy consumption has been running for more than two years – our first site achieved a 26% year-on-year reduction in electricity usage. OfficeMax has led the way in introducing responsible paper buying practices in the New Zealand market and currently offer recycled paper from 30% to 100% Recycled Content. Our OfficeMax branded copy paper (supplied by Mondi South Africa) carries FSC Chain of Custody certification.
How has the Enviro-Mark programmes assisted?
It’s been a great internal tool to help our business set up our Environmental Management System as it acts as a guide on what you need to make sure you cover and what the key elements are. For someone starting out it breaks the process into manageable pieces.
What value does Enviro-Mark certification provide OfficeMax?
Becoming the first office products company in New Zealand to achieve Diamond certification give us a real competitive advantage. The third-party auditing and certification shows our customers that we really are walking the talk and actively making a difference.