The monthly suggestion box is proving popular with staff who benefit personally from sharing their ideas. Duraweld’s 20 Step Environmental Action Plan lists the targets they have set out to achieve.  Quarterly Green Team meetings report on progress against those targets and reports back to the workers via a bi-annual newsletter.

read more about Duraweld’s commitment to environmental issues on the Environment Page on their website.

Company Director, Mark Yeung presenting Oli with his winnings

David Rodriguez

Duraweld, one of the UK’s leading manufacturers of customised presentation, packaging and printed stationery products, has welcomed back David Rodriguez to its  Scarborough factory where he is due to complete a six month work placement funded by a Leonardo da Vinci grant. The grant is part of a European Commission funding programme which supports work experience placements for EU students.

David will also help the company with specific process improvement projects within their lean manufacturing programme, including streamlining material flow through the factory and improving yields from the cutting of polypropylene sheets to reduce waste and optimise dimensional requirements.

Mark Yeung, Duraweld said: “The work David is doing on process improvement is part of our lean manufacturing commitment. The benefits will be felt for many years to come in the quality of our products and improved manufacturing efficiencies.”

David will also be helping the company develop a new Key Performance Indicator reporting system which amalgamates all its current reports and provides the Management Team with an easy to use, ‘dashboard’ view of the key areas in the company which they can review on a weekly basis.

David commented: “It’s a great opportunity to work at Duraweld, which is large enough to have well established reporting and monitoring systems yet small enough for me to really see my work on KPI’s have an impact. The work I am doing on the manufacturing side is also really interesting and will give me great experience, as well as being fantastic addition to my CV.”

A keen outdoors person, David is also hoping to learn to surf whilst staying on the Yorkshire coast.

The Leonardo da Vinci programme is a European Commission funding programme focused on the teaching and training needs of those involved in vocational education and training. The programme aims to enhance the competitiveness of the European labour market by helping European citizens to acquire new skills, knowledge and qualifications and have them recognised across borders.

Loose leaf manufacturers will gather, at this their premier event, to take advantage of the unparalleled networking, more than a dozen workshop sessions, interactive presentations, and roundtables.

The highlights for many delegates, however, are the plant tours. These are an opportunity to visit successful businesses and see real-world applications of industry best practice – first hand. Attendees will visit three facilities in the St. Louis area, each offering their own capabilities and specialties.

Plant Tours Include
• Silvanus Products, ring binder manufacturer
• Eric Scott, label manufacturer
• Wrap-Ups Inc, finishing company

Mark Yeung commented, “I am really excited to be involved with developing conference as well as to be attending in June. I think it is a great way for us to share our learnings and experiences with our peers and bring back great ideas and inspiration to our customers in the UK.”

For more information and to register for the 2012 BIA Annual Conference, visit www.printing.org/biaconference or contact Justin Goldstein at jgoldstein@printing.org, or (800) 910-4283 ext. 806.

The company’s ambitious Twenty Step Environmental Management Programme covers all areas of the business and includes a comprehensive range of environmentally-friendly measures and procedures. Run by Durawelds’ in-house ‘Green Team’, since it began the following results have been achieved (results dated from January 2007 to December 2011):

Victoria Pitts

• Gas usage reduced by 44%
• Electricity usage reduced by 27%
• Water usage reduced by 28%
• A4 paper purchased reduced by 37%
• Cardboard boxes purchased reduced by 50%
• Number of pallets purchased reduced by 48%
• Landfill skips reduced by 75%
• Waste for recycling reduced by 20%

In addition to this Duraweld has also introduced a Bicycle User Group, the ‘BUG Club’, which provides practical support and facilities for employees cycling to work, has bought hybrid company cars, actively promotes the use of Skype to reduce the need for face to face meetings, has engaged students from Cranfield University to research closed loop recycling and has become involved in a number of local ‘green initiatives’ including the North Yorkshire Green Business Club and the ‘Dell’ve into Nature’ project.

For its’ latest carbon offsetting programme, the company will be purchasing 15 energy efficient stoves for an African-based project managed by offset provider co2balance. Each stove prevents three tonnes of CO2 from being emitted each year for seven years, and is provided to families in Kenya.

As well as being approximately 50% more efficient than an open fire, which means less wood is needed to use them, they also produce less ash and smoke. Both these features have resulted in both practical and social benefits for the families, as collecting wood and preparing meals takes less time, plus more male family members join in the cooking process as the kitchen environment is so much cleaner.

Duraweld reduced their overall CO2 tonnage by 21 % in 2011, and has shown a total of a 36% reduction since the programme began in 2006. Savings have been made by incorporating sustainable manufacturing processes throughout its production lines to design out waste, fitting thermostat timers to gas heaters, replacing the door in the goods inwards area to reduce drafts, continual maintenance to promote equipment efficiencies, auto switch off on machinery, compressed air leak detection programme, giving ‘ownership’ to employees, printer streamlining and by the winter period being generally milder than the previous year!

Victoria Pitts, Environmental Co-ordinator, Duraweld said: “Since its launch in 2006 we have made fantastic progress with our Environmental Management Programme and I am delighted with the results. We are also committed to continue our support of the Gold Standard Carbon Offsetting programme through co2 balance, which is proven to make a real difference to the families it works with.

Our leap of 11 places up the Sunday Times Best Green Company list in 2011, from 39 to 28, has also been a remarkable achievement in the last 12 months, as has the fact that we were mentioned in the Prince’s Mayday Network Annual Report in our first year of membership in addition to gaining a High Scoring New Entrant certificate and jointly winning the Carbon Reduction Award via the Yorkshire and Humber BITC Environmental Index. Our ‘Green Team’, supported by all of our employees, has made great efforts to achieve this success and we are determined to continue our progress as being an environmentally responsible business.”

Based in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, Duraweld produces folders, ring binders, dividers, organisers, boxes, conference packs, wallets and retail packaging for a wide range of clients and offers a wide range of environmentally-friendly product options.

Duraweld emitted 319 tonnes of C02 in 2011, compared to 413 in 2010.  Since we started offsetting our emissions in 2007 we have reduced our footprint by a tremendous 36%.  Our offsetting calculations include GHG scopes 1, 2 and 3.

Once again Duraweld has chosen to use co2balance as its offset provider, and will be supporting the African energy efficient stoves project.  Each stove prevents 3 tonnes of CO2 from being emitted each year for seven years (ie a total of 21 tonnes), therefore, our emissions equate to 15 stoves.  With Kenyan families generally consisting of about 6 people, this means Duraweld is helping 90 people in Kenya through a sustainable Gold Standard Project.

This is the 4th year that Duraweld has supported the African energy efficient stoves project as it provides social, economic and environmental benefits to the local community

 
Duraweld has a long standing commitment to reducing their impact on the environment.  The company holds ISO14001 accreditation for their Environmental Management System (EMS); recycles all their own manufacturing off cuts to make their own 100% recycled polypropylene is and is Carbon Zero.

Duraweld customers are also offered a free recycling service allowing them to return their used ring binders at the end of their life.

Mark Yeung, Managing Director, Duraweld commented: “As part of our commitment to reducing our environmental impact and in response to continued customer demand, we have developed this range of sustainable products. All the Feelin’ Green range is either biodegradable or recyclable and manufactured with minimum environmental impact.”

 

 

The range includes:

Feelin’ Green natural ring binder

A beautifully crafted natural ring binder with two rings, made from 100% recycled board, which will biodegrade or can be recycled. The spines are reinforced with biodegradable jute, and the ring mechanisms contain up to 55% recycled material.

Feelin’ Green frosty ring binders

Manufactured from our own pioneering 100% recycled frosty polypropylene, made from our own off-cuts and waste, these practical ring binders come in two sizes.

 Feelin’ Green tabbed dividers

Made from 100% recycled polypropylene, these tabbed dividers are numbered 1 to 5 and fit perfectly into the
Feelin’ Green ring binders.

 Feelin’ Green frosty document box

Now available as part of the Feelin’ Green range, these popular, lightweight boxes are made from 100% recycled, medium weight, frosty polypropylene.

COMING SOON!

Feelin’ Green notepads made from natural board or 100% recycled polypropylene and recycled paper.

The three pillars upon which we build our business are:
      •   Simple efficient operations
      •   Excellent people
      •   Outstanding customer service

In 2009 we launched the Three Pillars Awards. We asked all our employees to nominate who they thought had excelled in each area. The response has been fantastic and we are thrilled to be able to congratulate the winners of our 2011 award:
Outstanding Customer Service
Sarah Young, Sales Account Executive
Simple Efficient Operations
Lisa Adams, Sales Operations Account Executive
Excellent People
Ola Das, Machine Operator

Learn from an expert how to specify and buy tax disc holders, health & safety manuals, travel card holders, employee handbooks or ring binders and use them to drive your own sales in 2012.

In just three hours you will learn how to:

 
• Reduce costs without compromising quality
• Sell to your customers in confidence with increased product knowledge
• Avoid costly mistakes; get it right first time
• Quickly and accurately prepare a proposal for your customer – get in first!
• Make clever use of materials to maximise added value
• Benefit from environmentally friendly choices demanded by your customers

Join us:

• 1st February 2012 – Manchester
• 22nd February 2012 – Bristol

 
For information email: marketing@duraweld.co.uk

Alex Gourlay, the new Chair of Business in the Community’s Environment Leadership Team and Managing Director of the Health and Beauty Division at Alliance Boots commented: “This report shows how far the business community has come in our thinking. When the Mayday campaign was first launched in 2007 the emphasis was on climate change and carbon management. While this message is as urgent as ever, the essential role that the natural environment plays in all of business and society has becoming increasingly important. For that reason this report and our campaign highlight the breadth of issues and the importance of action by all business units. Those companies that embed the necessary changes to their mainstream business early on have the opportunity not only to survive long term, but to really lead the way towards a prosperous, sustainable future for us all.”

Katie Webber, Business in the Community’s Environment Director said: “The recession has seen the issues of climate change and environmental degradation slip down the public agenda. It’s time to stop thinking of this just as a problem to be solved and look at it as the mainstream and monumental business and employment opportunity that it is. Our report shows how beneficial action to create a sustainable economy can be for business. The fact that many of the companies who are part of our Network are starting to imagine a very different, sustainable future business model is hugely encouraging, and could provide the kick start our economy so needs. We will continue to work with the Network and the wider business community to help them do things differently in the year ahead.”

Duraweld Ltd achieved “High Scoring New Entrant” and “Carbon Reduction Award 2011” joint winner in the Yorkshire and Humber Environment Index 2011.

Hannah Senior will be speaking about Duraweld’s achievements at the forthcoming Business Unusual Conference, to be held in Leeds on the 9 December 2011.

The key to successful implementation and continual improvement of the EMS has been teamwork and full employee buy-in.  Duraweld is conscious that stakeholder awareness is important in achieving its objectives and targets, as outlined in the Twenty Steps.

BS ISO14001 is an essential element of Duraweld’s 5 commitments to provide customers with “seriously green solutions”.