Company receives environmental certification

12th August 2016 By: Kimberley Smuts - Creamer Media Reporter

Company receives  environmental certification

JULIUS MCMASTER The ISO 14001 certification provides a framework that enables us to manage and enhance our environmental performance

Tile and construction adhesive products manufacturer Tal, in May this year, became the first company in the construction adhesives industry to gain full ISO 14001 Environmental Management Certification.

Tal safety, health, environment, risk and quality manager Julius McMaster says ISO 14001 certification involves the development of various environmental programmes, including waste stream registers, procedures and legal applications, to assist in maintaining and improving environmental performance.

“The ISO 14001 certification provides a framework that enables us to manage and enhance our environmental performance.”

McMaster notes that, with Tal – a division of building solutions group Norcros South Africa (SA) – being dedicated to environmental responsibility and sustainability, the company will continue to conduct environmental awareness workshops for its employees. These workshops include environmental training on topics such as the downstream effects of pollution, in addition to practical demonstrations on how to contain spillages or how to deal with any possible environmental issues.

He adds that the certification also confirms that the company is continuing its efforts to reduce its carbon footprint and its waste to landfill by adopting better recycling methods on all waste streams.

Tal has 14 waste streams in its operation that can be recycled, for which it has implemented appropriate procedures. This includes recycling paper, plastics, cardboard and wastewater generated in the company’s production processes.

“This will enable us to receive a rebate on recyclable waste. By monitoring all waste streams, we can highlight and address any environmental breaches, thereby ensuring we adopt and maintain the reduce, reuse, recycle slogan which is commonly benchmarked worldwide.”

McMaster says it is essential in the current business environment that companies receive formal recognition for being environment friendly. With international environmental legislation becoming increasingly stringent, it is important for Norcros SA and its brands, such as Tal, to remain at the forefront of raising environmental awareness by proactively minimising pollution and reducing its carbon footprint, and in so doing meeting ISO 14001 requirements, the company notes.

“We are continuously improving all our processes wherever we can, and will embark on obtaining the ISO 18001 standard as the next step in our ongoing certification process,” concludes McMaster.