We have been rewarded for our commitment to the environment over the past twelve months. On 12 January 2010, we received a certificate naming us an “Ökoprofit” company by the City of Düsseldorf. Lord Mayor Dirk Elbers presented us with the certificate at an event in Düsseldorf City Hall that was also attended by Eckhard Uhlenberg, Minister of the Environment, Nature Conservation, Agriculture and Consumer Protection of the State of North-Rhine Westphalia. His ministry provides financial support to the project.
As part of the City of Düsseldorf’s Ökoprofit certification project, we last year explored various ways to further reduce our consumption of resources and energy. Taking part in this project has enabled us to save a total of around 97 tons of CO2 each year. We are also using 25 percent less energy than last year. Last but not least, we are able to reduce our annual costs by EUR 41,000 – just one more reason why our participation in this project is an important addition to our existing environmental management strategy.
At the start of the project, the Druckstudio environment team worked with Ökoprofit advisers to develop ways to cut costs and protect the environment based on data collected. These measures were then either implemented directly or incorporated into an environmental programme for the coming months. Regular workshops held throughout the year on themes such as water, energy, waste, procurement, occupational safety and mobility helped generate additional ideas for savings and improvements. Information and tips provided by the environment team raised further awareness of the issues among staff.
The measures implemented range from large-scale projects – such as a new photovoltaic system – to more modest but extremely effective initiatives such as energy-efficient lighting in the production halls. The next step will be to recover the waste heat from the printing presses and to switch the energy supply to green electricity.