We were over the moon to be recognized for our positive impact on both the environment and local communities at the TLMI 2021 Calvin Frost Sustainability Leadership Awards. The achievement highlights the wider journey that Markem-Imaje is on to operate more sustainably. A great deal of progress has been made so far and with support from our parent company, Dover, sustainability runs through the heart of our operations.

Elevating sustainability efforts

The TLMI Calvin Frost Sustainability Leadership Awards recognize association converter and supplier members that have consistently demonstrated a commitment to progressive sustainability practices across a range of areas. We were selected as the supplier winner of the Elevation Award for companies with sophisticated inhouse sustainability programs that are making significant progress. The judges were particularly impressed with our impact on social structures and our work in creating jobs for the rural communities in which we operate. The judges also highlighted our closed system for water use and our implementation of solar energy in our manufacturing processes.

Turning aims into action

As part of our submission, we were proud to highlight our Sustainability in Action program which has enabled us to increase energy efficiency by 36%, reduce waste production by 12%, decrease water consumption by 68% and cut greenhouse gas emissions by 44%, against a base target set in 2010!

The stories behind these figures are the successful initiatives we have implemented in a range of locations around the world, such as our installation of 2500 sq m of solar panels at our site in Valence, France. Our goal is to build on this success, with plans for a similar solar panel investment at our Bhiwadi facility in India. This will be made up of 619 solar panels which will generate 200KW of renewable energy and directly reduce our scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions. 

An equally important initiative for us has been the reduction of water use at our site in Keene, USA. This was achieved by recirculating cooling water through a closed loop system, instead of discharging it to the sanitary sewer, giving us annual water usage savings of 13.248 M³.

Sustainability is not just about environmental concerns it guides us to take care of our societal impact too. Something which is so important to us, and we are pleased to have been able to support public health initiatives in Itupeva, Brazil through breast and prostate cancer awareness programs. 

A work in progress

It’s always nice to be recognized and we would like to congratulate all this year’s winners. Yet we know that this is the beginning of a continuous journey, as we find new ways to operate more sustainably while continuing to provide the highest standard of support to our customers and the communities in which we operate.