Southern Pine Products Ltd was established in Christchurch in 1999, and fast became one of the South Island’s biggest producers of pine and medium-density fibre board (MDF) building products.
Southern Pine has a strong commitment to environmental sustainability within their business operations. Membership of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC Certified), Telarc Sal registered and Environmental Choice New Zealand accreditation are strong selling points in an industry more readily associated with deforestation than environmental preservation.
Not only are Southern Pine Products’ forests responsibly managed, they are implementing innovative solutions to lessen their environment impact by reducing production waste that would otherwise be heading straight into Canterbury’s Kate Valley landfill. The dust resulting from MDF production was a major cause of economic and waste concern “the dust had been costing $15,000 a month to dispose of, which led the company to explore other options”*.
It was found that the MDF dust could be processed through a new alternative system into briquette form to become bio-fuel for industrial use. EECA (Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority) helped fund the build of a briquette press.
At the time, it was foreseen that there could be a potential reduction of approximately 600-900 tonnes of waste going into Canterbury landfill each year. Southern Pine Products then started to look at local companies who could potentially use the briquettes and discovered Moffatt’s Flower Company located nearby. Moffatt’s Flower Company chose to adopt Southern Pine Products latest waste reduction/bio-fuel technology, and had their burners (used to heat two hectares of greenhouses), converted to use the alternative bio fuel (instead of burning coal). The transfer process was also financially supported by EECA.
As a result there has been a reduction in annual CO2 emissions by 3,100 tonnes, while Moffatt’s Flower Company saves $98,000 a year in fuel costs*.
A financially rewarding business move, Southern Pine Products benefits by repackaging waste into a new revenue stream while Canterbury benefits from less waste to landfill, and fewer carbon emissions.
For information and case studies on how businesses can be more energy efficient, visit www.eecabusiness.govt.nz
* http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/eeca+guiding+businesses+green+win-win
Photos Copyright Southern Pine
