We do our bit for the environment
15 June, 2021
In the fight against climate change and the struggle to protect the environment, everyone has a role to play, so does the BMT Group. In our plants worldwide, we take initiatives that are aimed towards sustainability.
Data, data, data
Data is what it’s all about for companies over the whole world. Indeed, data gives us tremendous insight in where we are and where we should go, also when it comes to sustainability. That’s why we have set up an SAC (systems analytics cloud) in which we can monitor and keep track of how much water, electricity and natural gas we are using worldwide, how much renewable energy we produce and how much rainwater we are collecting in all our plants per month. These figures will help us to calculate our carbon footprint, which in turn will allow us to set concrete goals for a successful sustainability policy.
We take action
That being said, we have already launched some initiatives over the last few years. For instance, there was the relighting project in which we switched all lamps in various plants to LED lighting. Doing so has seen the energy consumption of our lighting drop from 256 522 kWh to 93 104 kWh. To put that into context, that difference of about 160 000 kWh equals the energy consumption of 32 to 40 households.
Furthermore, in one plant, we have replaced the storage tank for waste emulsions with a new one that’s three times as big. As such, the tank is better adapted to the capacity for waste transport as less transport is needed, creating less emissions. Indeed, the number of transports for waste disposal has now dropped by two thirds for this particular plant.
Third, we have invested in solar panels for our Croatia plant. No less than 4530 panels have been installed on the roof of our Omco plant. Over the past year they have generated an output of 1.296.199 kWh, covering 8.7% of the total energy consumption in that plant. Considering that an average family uses around 4000 kWh per year, that equals the consumption of around 320 households, equalling about 155 tonnes of CO2 emissions.
Apart from those measures, we also incorporate innovative sustainable technology when we are building new plants. Indeed, our new plant in Sint-Truiden has been designed to obtain the BREEAM certification (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) for sustainable buildings with a minimal impact on the environment. Other new office buildings that were recently finished have obtained the energy requirements with flying colours.
As a final measure, we are currently installing charging poles to support the growing number of electric and hybrid cars in our fleet. After all, emission restrictions have been a fundamental part of our car policy and the maximum boundary for emissions of new vehicles is constantly adapted as technology keeps finding new ways to make cars greener. Also, along with those charging poles, we have foreseen charging points for e-bikes as we encourage our people to use their bicycles as much as possible to come to work. After all, cycling to work is beneficial for both employers and employees.
Going for a global approach
Seeing the positive consequences of these initiatives, we have become even more aware of the importance of a streamlined approach with a clear goal. That’s why collecting data is a necessary first step to ensure that the BMT group can take measures and start up initiatives for all our plants worldwide.
