Green dream of the Data Plastics team
Quality, service and keen pricing are givens in the moulding industry, with being green not often a priority - yet this is the task that Data Plastics have set themselves.
The learning curve was steep and investments needs were expensive, but the results are evident. Investments such as replacing all lighting units, adding variable speed drives to moulding machines, replacing energy intensive machines with modern ones, replacing our chiller system with a smaller economical machine and many other incremental improvements have shown annual power savings of 32 % - which exceeds the Government's planned carbon reductions.
"This is just the start" says MD Carl Reeve "We began by implementing BS EN ISO 14001- 2004 to give ourselves a structure to work to and quality standard. This monitors just about every aspect of our business, from water consumption to waste paper management"
"One of our greatest achievements this year has been winning the 2012 Sustainability Award at the recent Oxfordshire Business Awards. This was a great recognition for all of our success in "greening" a plastics business in a sector that is generally seen as part of the problem and not the solution."
What next for Data Plastics on their "Green Agenda?" "Material usage" says Carl "With Plastics tied to ever increasing oil prices one can't afford any wastage, and so we are increasing investment in new "close looping" technology to ensure a pure waste stream, maximum use of raw materials and minimum labour input, whilst not jeopardising product quality".
Our results are already impressive, with improvements in material waste of 70% since January 2011 to date bringing long term improvements to the bottom line.
Data Plastics will be proudly displaying their Sustainability Award at the show and are offering to show customers who would like to look around their facility just how they have tackled their challenges so successfully.
