Commitment to Environment

At SUM Ltd, we tongue-in-cheek like to say that we have you covered. We are pleased to extend that commitment to environment message. Telling the Earth (not just on Earth Day but 365 days a year). We have you covered too. We have made great strides internally at SUM Ltd to limit our impact on the environment. 

SUM’s commitment to the environment

At SUM Ltd, our commitment to environment is two-fold. Yes, we provide high quality insulation products to Canadian industrial companies to improve their overall efficiency and reduce energy use. We also continue to develop and execute on environmentally conscious processes within our business.

Certified products

Our products are all made from certified textiles of the highest quality from North American producers. From custom removable insulation blankets to welding blankets specially designed to protect both equipment and the welder. And 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.

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. 

Commitment to environment at work and at home

SUM Ltd has made a concerted effort to improve our energy efficiency in all key areas. We have installed energy efficient LED lightbulbs and upgraded boilers, heaters, and AC units. Machines at workstations are required to be turned off when 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. To turn down the heat or air condition when not 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, miscellaneous 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.