At Maxwood, we want to create the perfect washroom. But we don’t want it to cost the earth. Our approach to manufacturing, and business generally, is both careful and responsible.
We fully consider the impact of every decision on the environment, the health and safety of our team and the quality of our products. That means you can choose Maxwood with a clear conscience, safe in the knowledge that our materials, products, and processes are as considerate and compliant as possible.
Recognising the need for continual improvement in the face of changing environmental issues, we are committed to the ongoing development of systems and procedures that deliver environmental protection by conserving resources and minimising pollution.
Eliminating Formaldehyde:
We are leading the way in eliminating formaldehyde from the process of washroom manufacture.
· Formaldehyde is traditionally added to particleboard and the glues used to bond laminate to it, both of which are common in washroom manufacture.
· Formaldehyde is a recognised carcinogen and a potent sensitiser (i.e., trigger of skin allergies). It causes headaches, chest pains and other symptoms, and is a contributory factor to acid rain.
· Most manufactured articles containing formaldehyde will continue to emit harmful vapours over time. One study showed that vinyl-laminated particleboard emitted 16mg/m3/hour of formaldehyde. Even a comparatively low level of formaldehyde in the atmosphere can be harmful.
· We use a polyurethane alternative to traditional formaldehyde-based glues. This prevents toxic emissions, both from the glue itself and from the particleboard to which it is applied.
· In addition to its health and environmental benefits, Polyurethane adhesives also deliver much better bonding performance than those using Formaldehyde. This increases the lifespan of the product.
Manufacturing
We constantly monitor our manufacturing operations and the materials we use with the aim of minimising or eliminating environmental impacts.
· We continually optimise material use to minimise waste.
· We use optimisation software to keep waste from laminated boards and Solid Grade laminate material to the absolute minimum.
· We use polyurethane gluing for all laminating and bonding, to eliminate the risks of environmental contamination and harm to health associated with traditional adhesives, such as the release of VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) emissions and formaldehydes.
· Our capital investment programme ensures that we obtain equipment that operates at optimum efficiency to control and reduce the environmental impact of our activities.
· We have installed silencers on our dust extraction equipment to maintain the ambient noise levels in the surrounding area.
Waste Recycling
We aim to recycle waste materials as much as possible, particularly in the following areas:
· We send all waste aluminium to be recycled and maintain ongoing staff training to ensure that all staff co-operate with the scheme.
· Our new automated warehouse facility ensures that even offcuts are taken into account when planning a project, allowing them to be re-used wherever possible and reducing waste.
· We incinerate all wood-based waste in a computer-controlled biomass boiler, burning waste at a temperature that prevents harmful emissions. This boiler is also used for heating and hot water, thus reducing energy consumption and conserving the finite resources of fossil fuels.
· We break down all scrap chipboard and offcuts that cannot be re-used in an industrial woodchipper. This allows larger pieces of wood-based waste to be incinerated and prevents them being sent to landfill sites.
· We shred all wastepaper and bag it ready for recycling.
· We aim to remove cardboard packaging used to cover products for transportation at the point of delivery and return it to our plant for reuse.
· We return pallets on which goods are supplied to the supplier for reuse, wherever possible.
As part of our commitment to make the specification of sustainable solutions in the built environment the easy choice, we are currently working towards the following:
· ISO 14001 certification
· Environmental Product Declarations
· Supply chain management program to test new sustainable products every quarter.
If you’re interested in learning more about how our corporate social responsibility, contact us. We’re available via email at inspired@maxwoodwashrooms.com, or alternatively, give us a call at 020 3657 7615.
Commentaires