The CPV team is celebrating, following the successful approval by the British Standards Institution (BSI) for its environmental management system (EMS) to the ISO 14001 standards.
Designed to reduce the environmental impact of pipe system production at its site on the outskirts of Romsey, the ISO 14001 accreditation recognises the company’s commitment to sustainability. In order to achieve this accreditation, the company’s environmental management system carefully measures, monitors and controls many aspects of day-to-day operation.
This includes minimising waste – which importantly includes the raw materials used during the polymer pipe extrusion process. Starting life as pellets, any waste polymers created during the initial stages of a production run are being recovered and recycled back into pellet form for re-use by the company up to the permitted levels for the given product. This could be up to as much as a third of a new product’s raw material requirements.
Packaging is being recycled, wooden pallets reused and any other items such as cardboard is segregated to enable recycling and prevent it entering mixed waste streams.
Energy use at CPV’s production plant has also been significantly reduced by the installation of extensive solar PV arrays on the roof of the building and this is generating some 66 per-cent of the site’s annual electricity demands – with surplus power being exported into the local electricity grid. The company is looking to further improve this figure with the installation of a battery storage system that will enable night-time electricity requirements to be generated on site during daylight hours, rather than imported from the grid at night.
Mark Whettall, managing director, commented: “We are genuinely delighted to have achieved this accreditation from the BSI – it underpins our commitment to minimising the impact that we have on the natural environment. I would like to congratulate and thank our whole team for the effort they have made in order for us to realise our certification to the globally recognised environmental system that is ISO 14001.”
“We are fortunate that the products we produce are typically used for applications that are helping the drive towards a more sustainable future, such as pipe systems for low-carbon heat networks. By improving our production systems with ISO 14001, we’re further reducing embedded carbon and helping our clients’ projects.”
Michael Elton, manager responsible for the environment management system added: “The system we have put in place is far-reaching and delves into every aspect of our operations. We are constantly measuring, monitoring and adjusting our processes to improve our position – which includes seeking similar commitments from our major suppliers to help them align with our goals.”
“This is not only helping us ensure a better outcome for the environment, but in focussing so closely on our processes and reducing consumption of energy and raw materials, we’re improving quality and reducing our overheads, which helps us be more competitive in the marketplace.”