Optima is passionate about reducing the impact our activities have on the environment as well as working to help the community. We have therefore implemented the following objectives and initiatives.
Simple three point initiative implemented at all our manufacturing facilities:
- The global Aluminium Industry has an excellent record on the rehabilitation of land after bauxite mining. A recent survey showed that 89% of post-mining land in Northern Australia was restored to native forest and the remainder to commercial forest, agriculture and pasture.
- Approximately 40% of Primary Aluminium (total worldwide production - approximately 40 million tones) is produced using clean, renewable hydro-electric power.
- Climate change is a top priority issue for the global Aluminium Industry.
- There was a 14% reduction in total direct greenhouse gas emissions from the worldwide production processes of Primary Aluminium between 2000 and 2005, despite a 20% growth in Primary Aluminium production.
- Recycling is the 'cornerstone' of Aluminium's Sustainability.
- Aluminium recycling reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 95%, compared to Primary Aluminium production.
- It only takes 5% of the energy required to produce Primary Aluminium to recycle it.
- Aluminium is an 'energy bank' - most of the original input can be recovered every time the Aluminium product is recycled.
- 100% of Aluminium can be recycled to infinity without any loss of quality or properties.
- Over 70% of the Aluminium ever produced worldwide is still in use today - 450 million tonnes.
- 43% of UK demand for Aluminium is now met by recycled metal. The figure for Europe is 39%.
- Recycling rates for the major market sectors in the UK are high - 90% for Transport and 95% for Building and Architecture.
- 975,000 tonnes of recycled Aluminium was produced in the UK in 2006, compared to Primary production totalling 360,300 tonnes.
- Recycling of Aluminium scrap in UK and Europe saves about 90 million tones of greenhouse gas emissions annually, equivalent to the annual emissions from 15 million cars.
- For each tonne of aluminium produced 0.69 Tonnes of CO2 are emitted.
- 40% of the Aluminium purchased by Optima Products is derived from recycled material
In addition, Optima continues to work with charities and other community projects so that they too can benefit from Optima's success.
Environmental Sustainability
Many of our current products are demountable and can be relocated and re-used within a building.
All of our products can, upon reaching the end of their useful life, be dismantled allowing the aluminium, glass, steel, plastic, timber and insulation materials to be recovered from site and entered in to the relevant recycling programme.
Optima is extending the simple three point initiative to site installations of our products by providing training, available to all Contracting Partners, in order to minimise partitioning waste during installation and actively encourage site waste management plans to be adopted; utilizing specialist waste management companies to collect and recycle waste partitioning materials.
Corporate Social Responsibility
Optima supports various local charities including SeeAbility, a UK-based charity for the blind. Recently a team of Optima professionals cycled from Leatherhead to Le Mans as part of a challenging four-day bike ride in aid of SeeAbility. The ten-strong team raised over £16,000 for the charity. For more information on SeeAbility, visit www.seeability.org.
Footprint and environmental ISO's
Optima is working to reduce its CO2 emissions by 10% over the next five years. Through actively managing transport requirements in an environmentally considerate manner, Optima is on target to reduce current carbon equivalent emissions by 25% over the next five years.
Following assessments by independent bodies, Optima has been awarded ISO 14001 certification. Only 1% of UK businesses have been successful in achieving this prestigious award which is supported by the Government and recognized world wide.
