Sustainability and our effect on the environment are things we take seriously at HealthGuard®. The effect of modern industrial process has no doubt impacted the natural environment since the industrial revolution.
At HealthGuard®, we are fully committed to protecting the environment and share the concerns about the carbon footprint on our planet. As such, continuous improvement in sustainability is a driving force for us. I’d like to shed some light on the policies and efforts we have put in place at HealthGuard® to improve our sustainable practices, particularly concerning our in-house procedures and manufacturing.
I am pleased to confirm that we are a carbon-negative producing company. Our carbon-negative factory actively offsets the carbon produced during the manufacturing process of HealthGuard® products. Five years ago, we installed dedicated solar panels, transforming our factory into a net producer of electricity. The surplus electricity is fed directly into the Victorian state electricity grid, effectively offsetting the emissions from the deliveries.
To further reduce our reliance on electricity, we have taken several measures, including the installation of smaller, more efficient electric/pneumatic motors on all our manufacturing plants, as well as energy-efficient air compressors to power our pumps and motors. To further maximise electricity usage during manufacture, we produce in bulk quantities and employ our best efforts to obtain forecasts from customers to retain stock and maximise electricity resources.
The production of bulk quantities means that our pumps and lines need flushing less regularly further reducing waste. We also have dedicated tanks pumps and lines for each category of our product range. This minimises waste, as similar products within that product category can be manufactured back-to-back without the need to flush lines or mixing vessels. Any excess product is also retained for sample stock. Where cleaning is required all wash water is collected and retained in our tanks and residue is disposed of through certified EPA waste disposal specialists. It is our intention that the only chemicals that leave our facility are finished products provided to our customers and not waste entering the environment.
To reduce plastic waste stock piling and environmentally burdensome plastic manufacturing, we employ EPA-approved drum and IBC recycling programs for our packaging of HealthGuard® products. We have successfully implemented a returnable IBC packaging system for over 20 years with our local customers. By reusing the same IBCs on re-delivery, we significantly reduce EPA wastewater for clean out and decrease the stockpiling of plastic waste. We have also adopted similar sustainable practices with other customers wherever feasible.
Since the HealthGuard® product’s inception, we have remained true to our mission of creating environmentally friendly and user-friendly products. As stated in a press release by Chris on October 9th, 2001, “the brief for the researchers, was to create a product which is friendly to the environment, user friendly, as most asthma sufferers want a product which can kill dust mites, but is not an irritant, nor releases any volatile organic compounds and when the treated article is discarded, the anti-dust mite treatment will rapidly biodegrade, therefore leaving only a satisfied customer and no residual chemicals for future generations to inherit.” Our commitment to this mission remains steadfast, and we continue to pursue sustainable chemistry initiatives. We take great pride in the fact that most the products used in the manufacture of HealthGuard® are readily biodegradable.
If you have any further questions or would like more information, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We value our relationship with you and look forward to working together to build a more sustainable future.