Davey water products wins sustainability award in large company category
Victorian Premier the Honourable John Brumby gives Davey's Max Ekins the thumbs up.
A company wide focus on sustainability as well as a suite of
water pumping and transfer products that enable consumers to achieve high
efficiency in their water and energy use, has won Davey Water Products the
Large Business Award in the 2008 Premiers Sustainability Awards.
Presented by Victoria's Premier John Brumby in Melbourne last evening, the
Award recognises the multiple approaches which Davey has implemented especially
at its national headquarters and manufacturing base in the Melbourne suburb of Scoresby.
Davey spokesman Max Ekins said that the Award success has flowed from a company
wide approach which has created a 'house of quality' concept incorporating all
three aspects of the bottom line-people, planet and profit.
"Davey has embraced sustainability in all our internal processes, factory
accommodation and new product development.
"Twelve months ago we established 'Environmental Teams' within a cross section of
the company, from shop floor personnel to our quality, marketing and engineering
personnel with each Team having up to five members who operate under the aspects
of Landfill Wastes, Recycling and Emissions.
"Davey has also invested close to $200,000 in capital projects which complement
the sustainability objectives"
Mr Ekins said that some of the key achievements over the eight months that the
project has been in train include reducing and recycling all grades of waste to
reduce landfill from 350 cubic metres to 65 cubic metres a month - an 82% reduction
by volume and 42% by weight.
The major gains were recorded in reducing cardboard and paper and plastic wrapping waste.
In addition Davey has installed a conservation project harvesting the rain water
which falls on the building roof to show the value that rain water can contribute
in an industrial setting.
Over a million litres of rainwater has been harvested in the past year and stored
which is used to flush all the building toilets as well as supplying rinse water
for the powder coating pre-treatment line.
"This alone has saved 50% of the site's potable water consumption" Mr Ekins notes.
The Environmental Team has also worked on reducing the emissions of CO² by developing
alternatives that allow continued efficient operation of the factory while producing
reduced emissions.
"While our overall output has remained unchanged Davey has achieved a 30% reduction in
Green House Gases per unit made" Mr Ekins added.
Davey's sustainability concept has also extended to the products which the company
offers to the market.
These include the unique Celsior and Silensor water cooled pump motors for swimming pool
and spa bath pumps.
A typical result is a 30% reduction in the energy consumed in water heating.
The pumps are also manufactured with 25% less material and 60% less energy consumed
in the production process, yielding an estimated saving of 3,277 tonnes of GHG (Green
House Gases) over the traditional air cooled motors.
The Davey RainBank automatic rainwater harvesting controller is the first commercial
product that allows home owners to utilise stored rain water over potable water for
toilet and laundry applications.
"We estimate there are now enough RainBank systems installed across Australia
contributing close to a 40% water saving of the average 360,000 litres per home per
year saving a massive 5,760 megalitres per year of potable water, or nearly 6,000
olympic pools full of water every year."
Mr Ekins noted also that Davey has worked closely with numerous government and industry
initiatives from the Manufacturing Best Practice - Lean to Green Master Class, the
Victorian Government's Savewater! Alliance program and the Green Plumbers program
which has now trained over 4,000 plumbers in water and energy efficient products and practices.
"Achieving success in the 2008 (Victorian) Premiers Award for Sustainability in the
Large Company Category is a signal result for all at Davey Water Products.
"I anticipate our success will encourage many other businesses to review their internal
sustainability practices and procedures and with a company wide approach be able to reap
significant benefits" Mr Ekins concluded.
For further information contact:
Davey
phone: +61 3 9730 9222
fax: +61 3 9753 4100
web: www.davey.com.au
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