The time when environmental protection was a purely technical problem is long past. Companies now acknowledge their responsibility to the environment, both in terms of their obligation to future generations and in order to secure the long-term future of their business. At Balver Zinn, awareness of responsibility for the environment has been integrated into corporate guidelines.
What is the significance for you of companies drafting their own environmental policies?
We believe that without meaningful integration of ecological factors, no future-oriented company policy is possible. At Balver Zinn, awareness of our responsibility for the environment has been incorporated into company guidelines, and environmental protection is regarded as a major managerial task. As part of our environmental management strategy, we define detailed goals and apply these to procurement, production and waste management. Logistics, product management and risk management also play a key role. Right from the outset, when the company was founded in 1976, Balver Zinn opted to adopt best environmental practices, even before anyone started talking about environmental management.
What certifications does Balver Zinn hold?
Our environmental management has been certified in accordance with ISO 14001 since 2000 and its compliance with these guidelines is regularly audited by Lloyd´s Register Quality Assurance, the last audit being in March 2006. We regard it as important to be certified by an internationally recognized institution because our customer base is composed of international companies. Our customers benefit from this too. They can be rest assured that the goods they have ordered have been produced in accordance with high environmental standards and with Balver Zinn products; they know that they are meeting legal requirements.
What measures does the Balver Zinn environmental policy include?
In terms of environmental protection, Balver Zinn strives to ensure that its production is as environmentally sustainable as possible, in excess of the legal requirements. It implements its own environmental guidelines for ongoing improvement of operational environmental protection at the production sites. For example, the manufacturing processes are continuously tested for environmental pollution. Balver Zinn takes care to ensure that emissions, noise pollution and waste are either prevented by taking action in advance, or steadily reduced. Natural resources must be protected and reduced energy consumption promoted. For a long time, we have been using separate water circuits in the production stage and recyclable packaging made of cardboard, wood and jute. Production waste and dross are also reincorporated into the production process.
In terms of the environment, recycling is also an issue. What service do you offer your customers, especially for metal recycling?
The Balver Zinn service includes professional advice and support on matters of storage, transport logistics and recycling of residual metal. Waste from metal manufacture and processing can no longer be disposed as special waste. Current legislation demands that users must ensure that all waste arising from production is recycled. The transport and the destination of metal waste containing hazardous substances must be monitored using fully documented procedures. As an anode and solder manufacturer, we are authorised to perform metal recycling. Our recycling process is continuously monitored to ensure that the quality of the recycled material is comparable with that of virgin material. We offer our customers containers for the recycling of residual metal. These can be used for storing the waste metal from soldering processes during transport and until recycling can take place. Lead-containing residues must be stored and transported in metal containers that have been approved for this purpose. For residues from lead-free applications such as SN100C or SAC, we are now offering special folding boxes as a cost-effective alternative to the metal containers.
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