A cosmetics, personal care and skincare packaging company with a focus on sustainability is on course for a 25 per cent reduction in carbon emissions after making energy-saving changes.
“Carrying out the recommendations has made a big difference to us and we are grateful for the support we received.”
The nine-tonne reduction in CO2 release – equivalent to more than 31,000 car miles – combined with a potential annual saving of more than £5,900 demonstrates Richmond Containers’ commitment to a green future.
The company, which is headquartered in East Kilbride, specialises in cosmetic and personal care packaging. It holds the internationally recognised ISO 14001 that shows its responsibility for protecting the environment.
Operations manager James Paynter approached Business Energy Scotland for advice on helping to make the premises more energy efficient as part of the company’s ongoing green journey.
He said: “Sustainability is at the core of everything we do – even down to installing bird and bug boxes at our offices to support native bird and butterfly species. We already had electric forklifts and car chargers installed and wanted to see what other changes we could make.”
One of our specialist consultants investigated the various possibilities and provided James with a free report detailing the recommendations.
The company was advised to install:
- LED lighting
- Controls on the heating system
- Heat recovery on the ventilation system
The installation of solar PV was also recommended and was included in the project. The 79.92kW system provides electricity to the site and is supported by power from a renewable energy supplier when needed.
The company’s existing office lighting was supplied by 200 18-watt fluorescent tubes, costing around £1,600 a year to operate. These have now been replaced with a mix of LED downlighters and batten lights, that are estimated to save over £1,088 annually.
The heating system at the site had been replaced with HVAC, but with no controls it was estimated that 20 per cent more electricity was being consumed than was necessary. Smart controls were introduced following the report, enabling the system to be used more efficiently and saving electricity and costs.
It was also established there was no heat exchanger on the HVAC cassette system making it less efficient. The primary purpose of a heat exchanger in an HVAC system is to transfer heat between the indoor and outdoor environments. Without one, the system is less efficient at removing heat from the indoor space during cooling or transferring heat from the outdoor environment during heating, resulting in higher energy consumption and increased costs.
Together with the smart controls, the addition of a heat exchanger has enabled the system to be more effective, as well as being environmentally and financially beneficial.
Richmond Containers took advantage of an interest-free Scottish Government SME loan to help fund the work.
James said: “Carrying out the recommendations has made a big difference to us and we are grateful for the support we received.
“We haven’t finished yet, and will continue to look for ways to reduce our carbon emissions.”
For further updates visit: www.richmondcontainers.com/sustainability
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