Environment for change01 August 2006

In 1952, the Great Smog of London caused nearly 2,000 deaths above the norm for that period. This resulted in the Clean Air Act of 1956, which marked the beginning of effective environmental legislation in Britain.

Since that time, legislation covering waste, air and water has grown enormously and there are now wide-ranging restrictions on the type and levels of emissions that are permitted. In order to comply with such legislation, businesses are often compelled to reduce emissions and monitor them, in order to demonstrate compliance. And whilst pollution abatement and monitoring represent a relatively new cost for business, a number of other environmental matters are becoming increasingly important. A recent sustainability seminar, organised by consultants from STATS - the specialist engineering, materials and environmental consultancy - concluded that issues such as flooding, noise and vibration, contaminated land and energy efficiency all have a substantial and growing effect on property and investment values.

STATS chairman Adrian Marsh reports "a growing need for external expertise, as a result of environmental legislation that forces companies to account for the impact of their activities on the environment. For example, planning applications often have to be supported by environmental impact assessments, including flood risk or contaminated land assessments."

Investors are being urged to divert their attention away from the IT revolution to the ET revolution, namely 'Environmental Technology' - a field that has developed rapidly in recent years. A major step forward has been the MCERTS monitoring certification scheme, established by the Environment Agency, which provides for the product certification of instruments, the competency certification of personnel and the accreditation of organisations, based on international standards. More information can be found on the Environment Agency website at www.mcerts.net - and on www.mcerts.uk.com for air monitoring and www.wwem.uk.com for water monitoring.

As these imperatives take greater hold, businesses such as Quantitech in Milton Keynes are recording record levels of sales of MCERTS-approved air emission monitoring equipment. "Much of today's monitoring technology is relatively sophisticated," comments Quantitech managing director Keith Golding, "and, as a result, the companies that have survived and prospered in the long term are those that provide appropriate technology with a high level of technical support.

"Many of our customers have responsibilities outside of environmental monitoring and, as such, it is unrealistic to expect them to be up to date with all the latest technologies. For this reason, it is important for us to invest heavily in engineers to provide support both before and after instrument delivery."

Many companies have to monitor their emissions continuously and consequently fixed on-line monitors are necessary. However, there are a multitude of instances in which occasional monitoring is required. This might be to demonstrate that a plant does not exceed emission limits during normal working or, perhaps, to identify the most appropriate location for a continuous monitor. External consultants, or test houses, are often employed for such work.

One company to benefit from the increase in environmental monitoring is Ashtead Technology Rentals, a member of the Ashtead Group that owns A-Plant. The company specialises in the hire of test and monitoring instruments, and general manager James Carlyle reports a 10-fold increase in business during the last two years. But what has provoked that? "Instrument rental provides access to the best available technology, without high capital costs," he states.

Amongst the raft of waste-related legislation now affecting the UK is the Duty of Care law. This requires businesses to keep their waste safe throughout its life - for example, by:
? preventing it from escaping whilst under their control
? ensuring contractors are authorised to carry such waste
? and keeping records of any waste transfer.

There is also a range of legislation relating to specific types of materials, such as hazardous waste, as Chris Murphy, deputy chief executive, Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM), points out. "Requirements keep changing - indeed 'Duty of Care' is currently under review - so it is vital that those with waste management responsibilities keep up to date."

Fortunately, there are a number of sources of information on a wide range of legislation. While specifically set up for SMEs, the NetRegs website (www.netregs.gov.uk) provides an excellent overview of environmental regulations for the busy engineer. Sector guidelines explain the practical measures that should be taken to ensure compliance with the law, while management guidelines summarise general guidance in areas which apply to most businesses: packaging, oil storage, statutory nuisance, etc. There are also links to key legislation: both current, where it is available online, and future - what's in the pipeline.

"Avoiding falling foul of the law is one side of the coin," adds Murphy. "Much more positively, auditing and modifying processes resulting in waste (be these materials, energy, solvents, water) and emissions can actually make an organisation more effective and bring significant cost savings."

Again, there are plenty of sources of help for organisations seeking guidance. Envirowise (www.envirowise.gov.uk) - which offers UK businesses free, independent, confidential advice and support on practical ways to increase profits, minimise waste and reduce environmental impact - has a telephone helpline, events and free on-site visits to provide tailored guidance. Meanwhile, the National Industrial Symbiosis Programme www.nisp.org.uk facilitates partnerships between organisations to create greater resource efficiency - ie, one company's waste may well be a valuable commodity to another. Since April 2005, the NISP initiative has helped to divert more than 858,477 tonnes of waste from landfill sites and, nationally, seen a reduction of 328,964 tonnes of CO2, with almost £36.5 million in cost savings to industry.

"Training also plays a key part in ensuring that personnel are equipped to deal with new and evolving challenges," says Murphy. "These range from programmes providing a quick overview of waste issues, to detailed courses on specific pieces of legislation." A selection of courses can be viewed at www.ciwm.co.uk

As he rightly stresses, life has become far more complex for those managing waste. "However, with all the support available, it is a good time to really get control of the situation and make a contribution towards meeting broader business objectives."

Key to best practice
Businesses need to implement an effective waste management strategy by introducing a number of measures, including:
? preventing waste from escaping while under their control
? ensuring contractors are authorised to carry such waste
? keeping records of any waste transfer
? keeping pace with the raft of new regulations.

Companies might well consider bringing in external expertise as environmental legislation compels them to account for the impact of their activities on the environment. It is also worth accessing the numerous sources of information that offer help and guidance: see the many websites referred to in this article.

Avoiding the waste trap
Waste comes in all forms and, as Rick Plummer, UK engineering manager for Spirax Sarco points out, many organisations could be unnecessarily wasting vast amounts of energy when it comes to how they handle their steam systems. However, improving efficiency need not be a major investment and can greatly improve performance, cut energy wastage and reduce fuel bills. Global chemicals producer INEOS Silicas is one such beneficiary. It has opted for Spirax Sarco steam traps with Quick fit fittings around its entire Warrington site, embracing several hundred steam traps. This installation has provided double block and bleed, which enables the company to replace faulty traps without waiting months for a scheduled plant shutdown - so the company benefits from energy savings immediately.

Production rates vary at the Warrington site, consuming up to 50 tonnes of steam an hour via an extensive distribution system. The initial two-day steam trap survey was ordered after it became clear several traps had failed. "They didn't cause us any problems with our process, but they were obviously wasting energy," says energy manager Andy Hitchin. The failures also created a maintenance issue, since condensate was not being removed effectively and was accumulating in the pipes.

INEOS Silicas asked Spirax Sarco to focus on the traps around the boiler plant and the pipework leading to the process plant. The survey found a particular problem with the fixed orifice traps. Frustratingly, INEOS Silicas had to sit on the results for several months until the next plant shutdown, as it was impossible to isolate and remove the affected traps safely with the plant up and running. Since then, INEOS Silicas has standardised on Spirax Sarco steam traps, equipped with Quick fit fittings. The system allows maintenance staff to isolate a defective trap and remove it safely in a matter of minutes.

Sting in the tale
Coca Cola Bottlers in Northern Ireland required a solution to dispose of their out-of-date cans and PET (polyethylene teraphthalate) bottles, but, in some instances, they were part filled with liquid. Pakawaste was able to overcome this issue by installing four Extractpacks - a baler that combines the baling and draining of past-their-date beverage containers in one step.

These new machines extract the liquid contents and simultaneously bale the containers - either aluminium cans or pet bottles. All the liquid residue is contained in the specially designed collection tray and is then gravity-fed into the treatment system. The bale weights of pet bottles vary, depending on density, but the average is 120kgs, while, for aluminium cans, the average weight is 80kgs.

SOE

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