Highlights
FMC has a good regime of monitoring and reporting on key areas of consumption. They track energy/water/waste and air emissions monthly. They receive monthly reports from their waste contractor regarding progress towards their ‘Zero Waste’ target. They recently rationalised their contracts from seven waste contractors to two. They use local companies and are not part of a group wide contract arrangement.
FMC Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:FTI) is a leading global provider of technology solutions for the energy industry. The company’s Dunfermline facility was opened in 1975 and is focused on the design and manufacture of wellheads and subsea trees together with continuous investment in people, plant and environment. There are approximately 700 employees based at the site. The VIBES judging panel selected FMC Technologies Ltd as the winner of the VIBES Management Award in the Large Business Category due to their holistic approach to environmental management and sustainable development; not only within their own business but also with the wider business sector and their local community.
Throughout FMC there are now over 20 Health, Safety & Environment (HSE) teams, with more than a third of employees actively participating in the teams. Their environmental processes are firmly established in their core values and health and safety processes. Staff engagement is excellent and staff are encouraged to present ideas for improvement. For example, the proposed 1.5MW wind turbine that is due to be commissioned in July 2011 was suggested via the Green Team. Sustainability messages are regularly communicated to staff via the company newsletter, electronically, on notice boards in the common areas and via screens in the office area and canteen.
FMC has a good regime of monitoring and reporting on key areas of consumption. They track energy/water/waste and air emissions monthly. They receive monthly reports from their waste contractor regarding progress towards their ‘Zero Waste’ target. They recently rationalised their contracts from seven waste contractors to two. They use local companies and are not part of a group wide contract arrangement.
The site has an established track record within its business as a centre of excellence and innovation. It has many ‘firsts’ to its name within FMC group and leads the way in terms of appreciating and affecting improvements to its environmental impacts. For example, they are undertaking a carbon foot printing exercise of their subsea tree product.
FMC has been working with suppliers to reduce waste via their ‘sustainability action plan’. Engagement with the supply chain has been an important contributor towards their zero waste target – their current recycling rate is 98%, with their remaining waste sent to landfill being reduced by 62% since 2007.Procurement staff have also been specifically trained on the importance of recycling so they can make better informed purchasing decisions. The VIBES judges were impressed that a 5 year payback was now accepted for environmental improvements; the business has a standard payback period of 2-3 years for their investment proposals for other areas of the business. Further economic savings include:
Reuse of wooden pallets and packaging boxes has realised savings of £61,731 and 48 tonnes of wood over 2009. Installation of solvent recycler has resulted in savings of £16k since August 2009 and will save approximately £20k per year through reduced purchase of new material and waste disposal costs. Segregation of recovered metals has increased financial returns on average by 260% per tonne. Automatic shutdown of PCs at night has saved around £12k per annum. FMC also supports activities within the wider community and communicates the lessons it learns to its suppliers. Its Greenshoots fund, developed by the team in Dunfermline and launched by Jim Mather earlier this year, is a recent creation and once fully operational could provide £250K per annum to support local activities with a low carbon impact.
The business is well on its way to achieving its zero waste target and shares information readily with other businesses and the Scottish Government.
Dan Neelon, Well Completion Systems Manager said, “We are delighted to have won the VIBES Award. Our focus on the environment is not only a core value of our organisation, but a commitment from our people who have led our efforts in this area.
This award reflects our ambitious targets to achieve a ‘0% waste to landfill’ which we are on target to reach, our focus on reducing carbon emissions and a number of other environmental initiatives such as our carbon mitigation fund; GreenShoots, our onsite recycling efforts and our waste management and water and energy management programmes. Recently, a 1.5MW wind turbine was approved to be installed on site. It will generate up to 40% of our facility’s electricity requirements and is among the first in Fife.”