Webstar: A Toitū enviromark diamond case study

Webstar’s aim is to be New Zealand’s leading print communications company. With superior quality and service, we offer multi-platform solutions that span all areas of print media. We work with our clients to achieve innovative and targeted media solutions, with a proven ability to drive customer response in high impact print mediums.

Webstar’s site in Masterton specialises in long run retail catalogues and directories and our Auckland site is New Zealand’s leading magazine printer. Both sites are Toitū enviromark diamond certified.

What drew you into a formal environmental management programme?

Which of your achievements are you most proud of and why?

• At both sites we have diverted more than 99% of the waste we produce from going to landfill and we are actively committed to getting this to Zero
• By converting to more efficient lighting and using LEDs we decreased lighting electricity usage by 30% in Masterton and we have recently commenced an energy reduction programme in Auckland to reduce energy use by 10%, saving us tens of thousands of dollars every year.
• At our Masterton site we reengineered a heat recovery programme throughout the plant that converted waste heated air from our ovens into factory heating during winter. This allowed us to completely eliminate our requirement for Coal to feed our fossil fuel fired heating system, saving over 100,000 kg of non-renewable resources each year.
• We underwent a fleet vehicle review and now have changed to more fuel-efficient vehicles saving many thousands of dollars per year in fuel and operating costs.
• Our proudest achievement however has been witnessing the way our team and our supplier partners and service providers have embraced our vision.

Have you saved money because of your initiatives?

We have a saved a significant amount of money across both sites since we began our Toitū enviromark journey in 2009 – we estimate that our operating costs have dropped by more than $100,000 per annum since we commenced the programme.

In general, what kind of improvements have you made?

• We have increased recycling and re-use significantly – our goal is Zero to landfill and we are closing in on this fast
• Our Auckland site no longer requires Trade Waste certification as it does not generate any Trade Waste
• We have reduced electricity and gas use significantly at both sites
• We regularly review all supplier partner contracts to ensure that they are supporting our initiatives
• We have opened up new sectors to sell into
• Getting our staff much more involved so that they are instigating their own environmental initiatives including e-waste collections, chemical waste reduction, and enhancement and clean-up of local waterways.

What advice would you give to other companies thinking of implementing an EMS?

It may seem hard to get momentum at first but once the processes are in place, people do jump on board so stick with it.

How has being a member of the Toitū enviromark programme assisted you?

Toitū enviromark is a great programme that allows members to progressively work through the development of their own EMS in a logical and sensible manner.

This makes the process of implementing and certifying the system easier and more achievable. We are recognised by our clients as being sustainable providers who take an active interest in reducing their everyday business impacts.

What value does Toitū enviromark certification have for your organisation?

Having a certified EMS shows that we walk the talk. We have experienced good efficiency savings in energy usage and with fleet vehicles. We are striving to be a good guardian of our land and having Toitū enviromark diamond certification is extra reassurance to the communities in which we operate that we are a careful and considerate business.

Where are you heading now with your environmental management efforts?

We are Toitū enviromark diamond in both our Auckland and Masterton sites. To us, having a successful EMS is a little bit like a never-ending story – there are constant developments in technology and energy efficiency programmes that can positively influence what we do.

We are currently working on upgrades to our Auckland site that will help reduce the carbon footprint we generate by moving products around the country. Bringing production closer to the population centres that use it will lower our transport costs and associated fuel usage significantly. We are also working across a number of operating areas, targeting both equipment and services that will provide incremental improvements in how we operate and at the same time reduce our waste impacts – keeping us sustainable and in business!

For further information

Webstar
W: www.webstar.co.nz
P: 09 477 4380 (Auckland) 06 370 0440 (Masterton)

Toitū enviromark diamond certification

Toitū enviromark diamond certified organisations have all the components of an ISO 14001 system in place. They have internal systems to ensure that their plans and policies are followed and to identify any opportunities for change and improvement. They have top management involvement in managing the EMS and its continuing stability.

To achieve Toitū enviromark diamond certification, an organisation:

• Controls all important documentation to ensure only the most up to date versions are being used;
• Has an internal EMS audit programme in operation, ensuring expected outcomes are occurring as planned;
• Periodically has top management review the performance of the EMS;
• Formalises the roles and responsibilities for people working for and on behalf of the organisation;
• Communicates appropriately both internally and externally;
• Ensures appropriate training is given to people working with the EMS;
• Documents all procedures relating to managing the system (both system and operational procedures);
• Has a good system for managing problems (non-conformities and opportunities for improvement);
• Sets objectives and targets for driving improvement and has programmes in place to meet those targets;
• Develops, implements and tests environmental emergency plans;
• Identifies and evaluates their significant environmental issues arising from activities, products and services;
• Actively monitors their ongoing compliance with New Zealand legislation and ensures they are aware of any changes to obligations;
• Produces an environmental policy statement;
• Understands the scope of their EMS (i.e., are there any parts of the organisation that need to be excluded from the EMS and why);
• Exhibits no non-compliances with New Zealand’s applicable health and safety and environmental legislation.