On September 5, 2008 at the Hyatt Ball Room in Adelaide, Rondo attended the Australian Wall and Ceiling Industry Awards of Excellence dinner which had approximately 280 guests, including manufacturers, resellers, contractors, suppliers and government officials. Prior to the night, Rondo had applied to be nominated for the Health Safety Environment Award and was subsequently audited by SafeWork SA. SafeWork SA is a government body responsible for administering occupational health, safety & welfare, and industrial relations laws in South Australia.
A senior inspector from SafeWork visited the SA Rondo location for a few hours, investigating their practices and the way they monitor and maintain the Rondo site. At evaluation time, Rondo SA came out in great shape as SafeWork were extremely pleased with what Rondo has endeavored to do in it’s environment.
It was a great honour to have Rondo SA win the award and also receive an endorsement from the senior workplace inspector, who provided a short presentation covering the site, its practices and how they were most impressed with their findings. A rewarding experience for all of Rondo’s employees – especially considering that at the time of the audit they were also midway through office extensions.
On the June 5, 2009, Rondo was proud to receive our first environmental acknowledgement, when Gonz Marquez, Rondo’s Quality and Environment Manager, accepted the Bronze Partnership Award from the Hon. Carmel Tebbutt MP, the NSW Deputy Premier and Minister for Climate Change and the Environment.
Out of 300 organisations that applied, Rondo is one of 13 businesses to be handed the award of Bronze level in the recognition scheme, and the first to gain this title in the Metal Industry.
To meet the requirements of the recognition scheme, Rondo provided details on our environmental initiatives and the company’s commitment to these programs. Our submission included information on our on-site recycling strategies, Mission Zero program, Senior Management’s level of involvement and the communication of environmental initiatives to Rondo employees via internal publications and in-house toolbox meetings.
The acknowledgement is a great honour for all employees who have assisted in reviewing Rondo’s environmental footprint in the past 18 months, at the current St Mary’s site and also Rondo’s new Erskine Park site.
As Rondo continually looks for ways to improve the environmental footprint of our operations, this acknowledgement assures us that we are taking the right steps towards achieving the goals set out in our Mission Zero program.
Rondo is continuously working towards creating a more sustainable future, and the design and construction of Rondo's new National facility has been no exception to this commitment. The new purposely built site located in Erskine Park will not only exceed the environmental outcomes achieved at Rondo's previous site, but also provide new features that will all but eliminate our reliance on scheme water and deliver significant reductions in energy consumption.
Key environmental features at Rondo’s new National facility include:
- The Rondo Building – Best practice has been used during construction and when selecting materials. Quality project planning for the new site has been incorporated to ensure waste minimisation and waste sortation to maximise recycling and minimise contributions to landfill.
- Stormwater Recycling – The new site will collect stormwater from the roof run off and will be re-used in all external hose bibs, landscape irrigation and toilet flushing.
- Safe Storage of Hazardous Materials – Hazardous liquid materials will be stored in a bundled area which is roofed to prevent risk of spills/contamination entering the waterways via the Stormwater System.
- Natural light – Both the office and production/warehousing areas have been designed to incorporate a high level of natural light. This will be interfaced with lighting controls which will result in minimised electrical demand.
- Power Consumption – The main electrical feeds will be provided with “Power Factor Correction”, and by balancing and harmonizing the electrical demand/consumption across the three phases of power supply, it results in a more efficient energy demand thereby reducing the ongoing carbon footprint of the operating facility.
- Solar Hot Water – Hot water to the main office/amenity building will be supported by a solar heating system with storage and a gas booster. This is the most energy efficient form of hot water service currently available.
- Glazing and Sunscreens – Energy efficient double glazing is to be utilised in conjunction with external sunshading panels to minimise heat gain in summer and heat loss in winter, which in turn will reduce air conditioning energy utilisation.
- Landscaping – Native species, appropriate to the area, have been specified to be used in order to limit the water demand and become self sufficient.
Choosing Rondo products for your next project could now earn you one of two new green points under the Green Building Council of Australia’s (GBCA) revised Steel Credit points rating scheme (April 2010).
Rondo has committed to all 10 of the environmental improvement points outlined in the Environmental Sustainability Charter (ESC) to gain eligibility to the scheme, which offers Contractors one Green Point if 60% or more of the steel used in a project is supplied by an ESC approved member.
Created and managed by the Australian Steel Institute (ASI), the Charter aims to drive good business and environmental outcomes through the steel supply chain within the building industry. Rondo’s membership to the ESC, as well as the NSW DECCW Sustainability Advantage Program, have represented integral steps forward in our mission to ultimately provide our employees, customers and community with a sustainable future.
For more information on Rondo’s role in ESC, contact Gonz Marquez, Rondo’s Environment Manager on (02) 9912 7300.
As part of the Sustainability Advantage Program, Rondo constantly looks for new ways to make its processes more environmentally friendly and sustainable. The resources available to Rondo through this program have made it possible for Rondo to focus on steps towards resource efficiency, minimising the carbon footprint and creating a more sustainable future.
Rondo has been a member of the Sustainability Advantage Program since October 2007 and in this time it has made some great achievements and savings. Some of these include:
Energy & Water:
Projected annual savings of $11,000 in 2009-10 in reduced electricity use
30% annual reduction in LPG consumption
Replaced six electric hot water heaters with solar gas booster
Energy efficient sensor lighting installed in administration and factory areas
Projected reduction in town water consumption by 50 per
cent by harvesting rainwater to flush toilets,urinals and water the onsite gardens.
Waste:
Six cubic metres of paper and cardboard saved from landfill per week.
Recycling:
Recycling of all metals on-site
Increased paper and cardboard recycling from nil to two three-metre bins a week
Implemented the recycling of plastic strapping and shrink wrap from the site.
The Sustainability Advantage Program is a vital partner in helping Rondo develop a more sustainable business model and create a cleaner, more environmentally friendly workplace.
Download the Sealing Unsustainable Gaps Case Study.
Read some of the following case studies that illustrate Rondo's committment to a sustainable environment:
ISO 9001 is an internationally recognised quality management system standard that Rondo Australia has been certified against since 1993 by Lloyd's Register.
Mission Zero is Rondo's social and environmental brand which assists to achieve defined targets of health, safety, and the working environment of our people. In doing so Rondo aims to systematically reduce the environmental footprint of our operations for a more sustainable future.
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Rondo recognises its responsibility in making a genuine commitment to the environment, and aims to achieve and maintain a high standard of environmental care within all areas of its operations.
For Rondo, sustainable development is about operating indefinitely by minimising our social and environmental impacts for the benefit of the business, its employees, its customers, stakeholders and the planet we live in.
Our vision is to build a sustainable business by constantly working not only towards improving the bottom-line, but also towards promoting and achieving a safer working environment for our people, by being a good corporate organisation and by preserving the natural environment in which we operate.
Rondo's goals for the future are to systematically reduce the environmental footprint of our operations in order to achieve a more sustainable future and create a healthier and safer working environment for our staff and customers by constantly seeking out ways to improve. With the various policies and programs currently in place, Rondo is closer to meeting its goals with each day.
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If we see your genuine innovation idea displays potential, you will be contacted by Rondo to discuss how your idea might come to life.
