Award recognises green contribution

An Axiom Manufacturing Services product story

Edited by the Electronicstalk editorial team Dec 7, 2005

A UK contract electronics manufacturer has once again been rewarded for being kind to the environment at a prestigious awards ceremony held at the House of Commons.

A UK contract electronics manufacturer has once again been rewarded for being kind to the environment at a prestigious awards ceremony held at the House of Commons.

Axiom Manufacturing Services won a Wales silver medal at the Green Apple Awards for Environmental Best Practice in the Engineering and Manufacturing category.

Last year the company became Champion of Champions after establishing a partnership with Caerphilly Borough Council and local schools to safeguard local wildlife.

David Davies, Senior Commercial Executive at Axiom, said: "Axiom takes its environmental responsibility very seriously and is continually looking for ways to improve the company's performance whether it be lessening the environmental impact of our work or increasing efficiency".

"It is a great honour to receive two consecutive Green Apple Awards as it helps to demonstrate to everyone at Axiom, customers and local people that the company has a long term strategy and is committed to making the manufacturing process as environmentally friendly as possible".

Backed by the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, the Green Apple Awards help to encourage organisations to consider their environmental impact and implement best environmental practice.

This positive approach is very different, and complements, environmental watchdog organisations that are charged with imposing penalties on companies that don't achieve the required standards.

This year the company has increased its efforts to reduce harmful emissions, re-use packaging, recycle solder waste and cut energy use to improve performance.

The benefits have not only been for the environment, but also to the bottom line.

The latest figures reveal that the company is now making a GBP 12,000 saving every quarter from recycling paper, cardboard, scrap PCBs and solder dross.

From 2004 to 2005, electricity consumption was almost halved from 25,389 to 13,501kWh and gas consumption was reduced from 4350 to only 373kWh.

Now 60% of customers use recyclable packaging, landfill waste has been reduced by 9% since 2004 (137% since 2000), and paper recycling has increased by 1.5t.

Despite an increase of 20% in sales, paper usage was reduced by 14%.

Using its commercial influence, Axiom has persuaded its suppliers to reduce their environmental impact through using recyclable packaging and carefully monitoring transportation costs.

Through these procedures and changes to company culture, Axiom has recycled 9.14t of cardboard and over 2t of solder dross that would have otherwise gone into landfill sites.

Axiom reduced the volume of CO2 and electricity used by 18.68% despite a sales increase over the same period.

Adjusted to take account of sales, the actual reduction is 31.37%.

Employees are kept informed of these targets and the results are displayed on a notice board every month to make sure everyone knows in which direction the company is heading.