Insulating is an important part of environmental responsibility
In our operations in the insulation industry, one of the most important points of view is giving our customer companies better opportunities to reduce their environmental impact by offering products for better insulating. Insulation helps to reduce energy consumption, which in turn means a reduction in emissions. We want to highlight the importance of insulation as an important part of environmental responsibility.
The goal set by the European Union is to be carbon neutral by 2050, and Finland is aiming for the same result by 2035. Energy savings and CO2 reductions for industry are key to achieving this. The European Industrial Insulation Foundation (EiiF) is pushing for this by, among other things, disseminating information on the subject and training insulation professionals to assess the potential for energy savings. Our accounting manager Antti Hyttinen has attended EiiF’s TIPCHECK training, and through TIPCHECK audits, we have excellent opportunities to help companies operate in an increasingly environmentally responsible way.
»Learn more about TIPCHECK audit here
Kespet sheet metal claddings as a part of environmental responsibility
The sheet metal claddings have many properties that support environmental friendliness. As a protective material for insulation, sheet metal is a sustainable alternative to, for example, plastic-based products. In any case, we have tried to reduce products that are harmful to the environment and to come up with better solutions for the environment.
- Our products are completely recyclable.
- In case of a fire, sheet metal claddings do not emit toxic gases that are harmful to the environment.
- Production does not harm the environment: our factory does not have chimneys that would push smoke into the sky.
Environmental responsibility in developing our operations
In our operations, we comply with the requirements of environmental legislation and the regulations of local environmental authorities. For us, environmental responsibility is considering the principles of sustainable development and consistent development of operating methods accordingly.
At Kespet, the head of each area of our operations is responsible for the regulations and requirements related to the environment. In addition, we have appointed our Procurement Manager Riku Salminen as our company’s Environmental Manager, and our CIO Susanna Sole is responsible for the international ISO 14001 environmental standard at Kespet.
We take environmental responsibility into account in our operations, e.g. in the following ways:
Monitoring, evaluation and continuous improvement of the environmental aspects of our operations
Like quality metrics, we always set environmental metrics, either annually or over a longer period of time. By following them, we consistently make improvements to our operations.
Improving material and energy efficiency
Based on the above monitoring and evaluation, we made changes to our heating systems and were able to reduce oil consumption by less than half. Our newest unit in Turku uses solar panels, and electricity production for the sales and storage facilities is handled entirely by them.
We have been investing in reducing plastic consumption for several years now by using thinner plastic for packaging, which is just as good in quality. In addition, we have made several minor changes: we have e.g. reduced paper billing to almost zero and procured energy-saving LED luminaires for warehouses and production halls.
Consideration of the environmental aspect in procurement planning and supplier evaluations
We initially perform a supplier evaluation for each new supplier and quarterly for our existing suppliers. Our evaluation criteria include not only quality issues but also environmental issues. Most of our suppliers have signed the Kespet Sustainable Supply Chain Policy, and we also value it if the supplier itself has some kind of environmental management system.
Waste reduction and sorting
We strive to reduce packaging material, and in our Turku unit, for example, this has been done by developing the reuse of packaging materials. When we deliver goods from the Vaajakoski unit to Turku, the aim is to utilize these packaging materials again when forwarding. We invest in recycling by carefully sorting the various waste into, for example, plastic, cardboard and wool waste.
Educating and informing staff about customers and partners
Informing and instructing our own personnel in matters related to environmental issues is an essential part of implementing new policies. For example, when our waste sorting practices changed, an expert from a waste management company visits us on site to instruct our employees.
Transport optimization
We are able to receive products from our suppliers in large batches, which means that the emissions caused by transportation can be kept lower. We also strive to optimize product deliveries so that larger batches can be delivered to customers at once. Of course, we primarily take into account the customer’s wishes in the delivery schedules, but by concentrating deliveries, the customer also saves on freight costs.
Do you need a responsible partner for your insulation project? Contact our sales or send a message using the form below!
