Earth Day: For a Stronger, Cleaner Industry
At SUM Ltd, we tongue-in-cheek like to say that we have you covered. In celebration of Earth Day on April 22nd, we are pleased to extend that message, telling the Earth, we have you covered too. We have made great strides internally at SUM Ltd to limit our impact on the Earth and also provide our clients with high quality insulation products assisting them in their energy reduction efforts as well.
On April 22nd, 1970, The United States celebrated the inauguration of Earth Day to demonstrate support for environmental protection and raise awareness of the importance of long-term ecological sustainability. Now, over 50 years later, Earth Day is observed worldwide by 200 million people in over 190 countries. While many of the planned marches and other activities for its 50th anniversary are cancelled and moved to an online presence due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Earth Day remains a symbol to galvanize communities and act on environmental concerns.
Earth Day was first celebrated in Canada in 1990 by a small yet influential group in 1990, leading to the establishment of Earth Day Canada, a national environmental charity which overlooks Earth Day events in our nation.
At SUM Ltd, our commitment to Earth’s sustainability is two-fold. Not only do we provide high quality insulation products to Canadian industrial companies to improve their overall efficiency and reduce energy use, but we also continue to develop and execute on environmentally conscious processes within our business. Our products are also all made from certified textiles of the highest quality from North American producers. From custom removable insulation blankets for a variety of industrial applications, to welding blankets specially designed to protect both equipment and the welder from welding sparks, molten metal, and slag, to heat traced blankets to maintain consistent temperatures for in-transit fluids, SUM Ltd has you covered. You can learn more about our insulation products here.
To reduce our environmental impact on the world, we stand by and uphold 6 pillars of sustainability: Reduce, Re-use, Recycle, Rethink, Recover, and Repair.
Reducing Waste
On average, Canadians generate 720 kg of waste—nearly three-quarters of a metric ton—each year. SUM Ltd is making an effort to reduce the waste our company produces. We know that the first step to reducing waste begins with us. That’s why we have developed internal procedures and implemented upgrades in our building to meet these expectations. SUM Ltd has made a concerted effort to improve our energy efficiency in key areas such as installing energy efficient LED lightbulbs and upgrading boilers, heaters, and AC units. Machines at workstations are required to be turned off when its user is not actively using it, and employees are encouraged to minimize waste both during production and at home. At home, they are encouraged to use fewer paper towels, turn off the lights and water taps when not in use, and turning down the heat or air condition when not present in the room. When packing lunches, we encourage the use of re-usable containers such as thermoses and re-usable lunch boxes.
Re-use
One of the most effective ways to reduce waste is to not create it in the first place. By reducing our need for new materials and resources, our efforts will have a direct result in the demand in resources generated. Therefore, SUM Ltd searches for ways to reduce and re-use the materials and equipment necessary for our production. Scrap materials are re-used for smaller projects or other miscellaneous uses, paper is re-used for internal documents, and electronics are repurposed when it becomes obsolete in another area. Cardboard is re-used for packaging, and pallets from incoming products are used for outgoing shipments.
Recycle
Recycling is a core component to a more sustainable world. When resources have met their useful life, SUM Ltd recycles wherever possible including paper and metal scrap (pins, bars, tags, misc metals). Obsolete electronics, including printing cartridges and batteries, are dropped off at their appropriate recycling locations to be properly recycled for useful materials. Finally, in our pursuit in finding better, sustainable recycling solutions, we continue to seek new ways to recycle primary product waste.
Rethink
When it comes to rethinking, we scrutinize our current processes and ask ourselves if there are better, more efficient ways of completing our operational tasks. What could be done differently? How can we reduce the amount of excess material generated by our production? Are there finer details in our process that can be further optimized? For example, SUM Ltd personnel multi-use personal protection equipment (PPE) that can be either cleaned or used for a period, such as gloves and coveralls, and avoid using single-use PPE wherever possible.
Recover
Recovering resources that would normally by wasted by-products not only reduces the waste generated and therefore the need for additional landfill space, but also optimizes the value of the resource itself. SUM Ltd recovers resources that would otherwise have been deemed as waste and offer it new life. For example, we recover cardboard from others to use for packing and shipping, and recover pallets from others that deem them no longer useful.
Repair
SUM Ltd makes every effort to maintain and repair any existing equipment and infrastructure we use today, resulting in the equipment’s extended useful life and limiting our replacement waste.
Conclusion
Taking care of the planet is everyone’s responsibility. While Earth Day Canada’s 31st event is April 22nd, your efforts to creating a more sustainable world could start today. Get involved and learn more about how you and your company can do their part in becoming more environmentally conscious at earthday.ca!