One of Europe's main producers of impregnated foam sealants, ISO-Chemie, has achieved the coveted ISO 14001 environmental certification.
The move follows the implementation of an environmental management system which has been in place at ISO-Chemie for some time and was officially approved in March.
It reflects the company's commitment to continuously improving the environmental effect of its products. It also supports its corporate environmental activities.
The internationally recognised environmental management system is based on voluntary actions by a company to protect the environment, which together contributes to a continuous improvement process.
ISO-Chemie defined a set of measurable environmental objectives including waste disposal measures, the ongoing reduction of its power consumption, CO2 emissions and overall improvements to ensure better management of resources, to gain the accreditation.
The company's product range contains only CFC-free and climate-neutral foams that conform to the latest environmental regulations and has also drawn up environmental product declarations (EPDs) for products made from polyethylene, polypropylene and polyurethane foams used in its range of sealing solutions - the first in their field to do so. These declarations disclose a comprehensive balance sheet of all the environmental effects associated with the manufacturing of these products.
They also detail the input of energy and other resources, and the extent to which the products contribute, or not, to the greenhouse effect, acid rain, over fertilisation, destruction of the ozone layer and smog creation.
The positive life cycle assessments demonstrated in the various environmental certifications are intended to be used as the basis for further CO2 reductions - ISO-Chemie has already reduced its carbon footprint by installing a photovoltaic array on the roof of the company building.
With this system the company produces around a fifth of its own power consumption needs on average every year. This paves the way for the company making its own contribution to achieving the climate goals resolved in the Kyoto Protocol and at the subsequent Bali and Copenhagen Summits.
Peter Thompson, ISO Chemie's UK general manager, said the company has long been committed to finding ways to improve the environment. "We constantly look at smarter and more efficient ways of production, cutting waste and reducing carbon emissions, so gaining ISO 14001 is a natural progression for us.
He added that the corporate environmental policy means ISO Chemie does not simply specify values, but also lives by them too. "It faces up to its responsibility for a future worth living - as mirrored by the company's claim ‘ISO WORLD use the blue technology'," he added.
