“We aim to be Carbon Neutral by 2012”

April 2009: In the current climate green is the new black. Our clients are increasingly demanding hotel bedroom casegoods that are not only aesthetically pleasing, practical and price-competitive but environmentally-sound too. For an update about ODonnell’s ambitious plans to reduce their factory’s carbon footprint whilst supplying the UK and European hotel marketplace with world class furniture, we asked Jim O’Donnell to bring us up to speed. He reports:

In 2008, ODonnell Furniture Makers committed to becoming Carbon Neutral by 2012. Following this commitment, our plan currently has two important focal points:

1. To identify where and how much carbon we produce (we have decided that our unit of measure will be kilograms of CO2).
2. To take action to reduce or eliminate the production of CO2 in each sector.

It would seem to be relatively easy to calulate how much carbon the company produces but it is only on closer examination that you realise that almost everything we do produces carbon: turning on a light or a computer, making a phone call, driving to the shop for a sandwich and all the other simple and mundane things we do and take for granted; they all produce carbon.

So that we did not get bogged down in detail, we decided to identify our main areas of carbon production and to compile a questionnaire. This resulted in the following summary of where and how much carbon (kg/year) is produced:

This gives a total of 1,168,000kgs or 1,168 tonnes.

In order to progress meaningfully, we decided on a twin-track approach. We would try to make reductions in each area and we would target one area in particular, Heating.

This can be divided into heating workspace and heating water. Up to now, we have been using a combination of electricity, oil, and gas for heating so we looked at providing it from our wood offcuts. Our calculations showed that we had enough of this material so we commissioned two state-of-the-art boilers to provide heat and hot water. After some teething problems, the system is now fully operational and performing well.

In terms of heating then, we calculate that we have removed about 500,000kgs of carbon. We estimate that we did not remove the full 522,000kgs as some of the wood offcuts need to be chipped. This now brings our total annual carbon production down from 1,168,000 to 668,000kgs.

As I have said, almost everything we do produces CO2. What we have found is that we must continuously monitor and update our information so that we have the best possible measurements and tackle the different areas with the best possible solutions.

Moreover, we must not neglect what many consider to be rather dated environmental ideas such as conservation, re-cycling and insulation. They all reduce CO2.

We have therefore started programmes to:

1. Update and increase the insulation to the buildings, pipe work etc.
2. Improve our re-cycling and make it even more comprehensive.
3. Reduce Energy use.
4. Cut back on Travel.
5. Identify and reduce other miscellaneous carbon production sources.

We have made a start but we still have a long way to go. I look forward to updating you with our progress in the next issue of “Profile.”

<< Click here to view the September 2009 edition of "Carbon Neutral by 2012"

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