Paint manufacturer PaintPlus has become the first small enterprise in New Zealand to be carbon neutral, achieving government body LandCare Research’s CarboNZero certification.
Already the only paint company in New Zealand with Environmental Choice certification for every single product they manufacture, the Auckland-based company has now gone even greener.
“We believe we’re first paint company in the world to be both eco-labelled and carbon neutral,” says co-founder John Warman.
Since he founded Paint+ along with Jim Beattie back in 1997, they made the commitment to only manufacture environmentally safe products. PaintPlus paints typically have very low volatile organic compound levels – often practically zero – and is free from carcinogens and toxins as well as being almost odourless.
“Seeking external review and endorsement, we applied for and received a distinction that no other paint company has achieved,” says Mr Warman.
“All our products carry the endorsement of the internationally recognised Environmental Choice New Zealand eco-label. If a paint is not environmentally friendly, we don’t make it – as simple as that.”
As part of the Environmental Choice programme, all PaintPlus processes and products have been scrutinised in detail to ensure they are geared to limit or avoid environmental impact.
“It was a natural progression in PaintPlus’s environmental commitment to go where no other no other paint company has gone and become fully carbon neutral.”
The company measured all carbon emissions from 1 April 2007 to 30 April 2008. It was found that most of their greenhouse gas emissions come from shipping freight and business vehicle travel.
“We realised we have to go even further than before in minimising every type of energy we use, reducing waste and wringing efficiency out of every process.”
PaintPlus has committed to reducing electricity and all fuel consumption by 5%, improve shipping efficiency by 10% and reducing waste to landfill by 50% over the next year.
“We are fully committed to this process and will be working with our staff, suppliers and customers to assist with ideas for further reduction in our greenhouse gas emissions,” says Mr Warman.
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