Insulators inspire Medical Suppliers to go ‘Green’

Insulation specialists were the unlikely source of inspiration for a leading medical supplies company seeking to improve its ‘green’ credentials.

Williams Medical Supplies, one of the UK’s largest suppliers of medical equipment, turned to insulation solutions provider Rockwool as part of a drive to achieve continuous improvement in efficiency and waste reduction.

The Gwent-based medical supplier decided that, despite the massive difference in their products, their managers could learn most from Rockwool, which complies with strict environmental guidelines in the manufacture of its sustainable products.

Rockwool is manufactured using igneous volcanic rock, an abundantly available resource which in its lifetime can save hundreds of times the greenhouse gases generated during its production. Sustainable manufacturing ensures that 50% of Rockwool by weight is made from recycled or reused materials.

Janinne Sykes, continuous improvement analyst for Williams Medical Supplies, was in no doubt that the visit to Rockwool’s Pencoed site was well worthwhile.

Williams Medical Supplies were among the latest Welsh enterprises to benefit from Inside Welsh Industry, the special programme which enables high performing businesses to share valuable information on good management practices with fellow Welsh businesses.

Janinne Sykes, said: “Rockwool run a very impressive operation and meeting them has been hugely beneficial for our business. We gained valuable tips following our visit that assisted us in our application for the Green Dragon Level 2 environmental standard, which I’m delighted to say we achieved in record-time.

“Although we don’t produce large amounts of waste we appreciate there are still significant efficiency savings to be made, which will not only assist our financial bottom line but also contribute to sustaining a greener healthier planet.

“We are now working towards achieving the ISO 14001 Environmental Standard, this demonstrates our long-term commitment to tackling these types of issues,” she added.

Janinne and her management colleagues studied how Rockwool analyse every aspect of its business to identify areas where it can cut down on waste and engage in more environmentally friendly practices.

Following the visit to Rockwool, Williams Medical Supplies has adapted and revised its environmental check-list and set-up an eight-strong environmental team whose job it is to promote and monitor best practice.The team conduct, weekly audits to ensure staff adhere to the company’s environmental initiatives, such as switching-off electrical equipment at the end of each shift. They have also implemented a car sharing scheme, and installed energy efficient sensor lighting that only comes on when there is someone in the room.

In addition, a bike shed has been installed to encourage employees to cycle to work and the firm uses the low-carbon emitting Toyota Prius in its fleet of company cars.