Going green on waste!
While many of you have probably heard of ISO 9001, a quality management system for organizations, you may not be as familiar with ISO 14001.
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The ISO 14001 environmental management standards exist to help organizations minimize how their operations negatively affect the environment. In structure it is similar to the ISO 9001 quality management system, and both can be implemented side by side. Wire Belt has recently obtained our certification for ISO 14001. Simply put, we have procedures and measurement systems in place for all of our processes and waste streams. For example, we collect used batteries and recycle all paper. It is a goal of mine for Wire Belt to be a leader in green technology, and show our neighbors in New Hampshire that one can practice common sense, ecologically sound practices, while remaining a profitable business. Being green shouldn’t hurt. In fact, done right, it will not only save money in the long run, but will do so at a much lower ecological impact to our environment. Last year alone we saved over 80,000 sheets of paper as a result of our ISO 14001 certification and our ongoing green efforts. Not only did we save a tree or two, we saved a lot of money. Not to mention all of the savings on toner & ink, wear and tear on our copier machines and kilowatt usage throughout the facility. Although some projects may seem minor – their savings add up!
| What is an Environmental Management System? |
- Systematic approach for organizations bringing environmental considerations into decision making & daily operations
- Establishes a framework for tracking, evaluating and communicating environ- mental performance
- Cycle of planning, implementing,
reviewing and improving the processes & actions that an organization under- takes to meet its business and
environmental goals
- Voluntary system
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Wire Belt’s commitment to both the customer and the environment is why we chose to work towards our ISO 14001 registration. This certification helps us develop practices and policies necessary to insure we are on the right path, and also provides us the tools to measure our progress. I am pleased to say that last year we received our ISO certification on the first audit! This shows that our commitment to our environment goes beyond “just words” and that we are taking real action towards this effort. The ISO designation should give you confidence that we are not just labelling ourselves “green” to take advantage of the great “green wave”.
This certification is a win for us and also for you as a customer. You can feel confident in dealing with Wire Belt as we move forward towards the next phase of alternative energy. It is our continued commitment to go green on waste!
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Issue 1, 2009