In the interview Shane highlights some excellent examples of how Irish companies, that received funds from EPA, can make major economic savings, when implementing resource efficient practices.

You can listen to the interview below:

Shane Mooney interviewed on ‘Green Midlands’ – Feb. 2012

The companies referred to were:

• Tool & Plastic, Longford.
• Green Isle, Naas.
• Larkin’s Engineering, Tuam.
• JFC Plastics, Tuam.

During 2002, both the Waterford City landfill site and the Waterford County landfill site ceased to accept commercial waste. In the aftermath of this development, Waterford Chamber of Commerce initiated a waste prevention/minimisation pilot project, which was specifically targeted at the construction sector: this sector is one of the biggest generators of commercial waste. Three Waterford-based construction companies participated in the Value Green Construction Scheme (VGCS) pilot project.

Each of these companies set out to prevent/minimise on-site waste; they also set out to show other construction companies how the implementation of a ‘green policy’ could help them to increase their profits, reduce operating costs and enable them to pass on some of the resultant cost savings to their clients. Over a period of nine months in 2002/2003, the VGCS project team developed a series of systems, procedures and plans aimed at increasing companies’ operating profits by reducing on-site waste. The lessons that they learned were incorporated into a step-by-step guide, which was published in 2004 by Waterford Chamber of Commerce and the Environmental Protection Agency. The guide can be downloaded by clicking on the link below:

EPA Value Green Construction Scheme Guide

Noel Larkin, MD Larkin Engineering, and Bobby Kerr

“Larkin Engineering Street Products” is a line of products manufactured by the Tuam based company and is supported by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), programmes  – the Cleaner Greener Production Programme (CGPP) and the National Waste Prevention Programme and a local company, SPeco Environmental Health and Safety Consultants, based in Galway. Under (CGPP) a number of environmental initiatives were investigated such as energy, waste and water minimisation, eco design and manufacturing efficiency.

Laura Burke, EPA Director said:

“Through the Cleaner Greener Production Programme, the EPA is assisting Irish enterprises to improve their environmental performance.  Businesses like Larkin that participated in the EPA’s Cleaner Greener Production Programme have shown how achieving resource efficiency brings big economic opportunities. EPA study showed almost €1.6m per annum worth of savings for Cleaner Greener Production Programme companies from a one off investment by the EPA of €1m. The EPA is delighted to assist companies such as Larkin to grow in both an economic and environmentally-sustainable way.”

Through the ‘How Green is Your Business Competition’, Larkin Engineering demonstrated how Eco-design brought about new ideas. One such example involved the manufacture of a new bin using 38% less material. The company also started a take back system to refurbish existing bins rather than asking customers to purchase a new bin.

Below are some of the green efficiencies achieved by Larkin:

Eco-design

• Saved 38 % of the raw material  previously being used on each 100 litre jumbo bin;
• Product take back and refurbishment:  local authorities demonstrated that 3.5 bins could be refurbished for the same amount of energy as it would take to manufacture one new bin;

Energy

• Electricity usage was reduced by 9000 kWh per month in 2011 compared to 2010;
• Significant savings were achieved in energy spend per new bin;

Waste

• Over 40% reduction in the amount of metal being sent for recycling from production since 2008 due to improved material utilisation.

• 19% improvement in production efficiency due to improved layouts and work practices.

Water

• Rain water harvesting allowed the manufacturing plant to become self sustainable.

Silicon Republic coverage of iameco launch – “A world first”

The Environmental Protection Agency launched the Cleaner Greener Production Programme (CGPP) in 2001 as a grant scheme to encourage Irish organisations to implement cleaner greener practices. The philosophy of the programme is that prevention is better than cure.

The projects challenged organisations to produce goods and services in more environmentally friendly ways, targeting the minimisation of emissions through cleaner production methods. The objective was to achieve a balance between economic activity and protection of the environment.

Since 2001 the EPA has committed over €7 million to 89 organisations that have received part funding for demonstration projects under this programme. Companies commit to developing demonstration projects that reduce their environmental impact and are applicable across the business sector. Environmental performance is fast becoming a marketing tool and there is an increasing demand for environmentally sound products and services both in the EU and across international markets.

The long-term aim is to try to ensure that cleaner greener production and eco-efficiency become the established norm in Ireland. The EPA hope that other businesses will learn from and build on past success stories and that will work towards the CGPP’s objective: “Better Business in a Better Ireland”.