Environmental awareness
Our responsibilityVSB is ISO 14001 certified and has its own environmental policy prepared in house, which means that we must assume our environmental responsibility in full and continuously strive to minimise the company’s environmental impact. But how are we doing it, and what are we doing in practice?
FSC – WHAT IS IT?
The majority of all the screws that are packed in Brämhult today are delivered in FSC-labelled packaging. But what does this mean? FSC stands for the Forest Stewardship Council, which is an independent, international member organisation that works for the environmentally-friendly, socially responsible and economically viable use of the world’s forests through its FSC certification system. Certified companies must comply with FSC’s forestry use and traceability rules. They will then be allowed to label their products with the FSC brand. The FSC brand allows consumers and businesses to choose wood products that originate from responsible forestry sources, that is, forestry use that takes people and the environment into account.
Our aim is to choose a path that leaves as few environmental footprints as possible.
1,812,117 CUPS OF COFFEE
This is how many cups of coffee our new solar panels will provide energy for during a year. Measured in kilowatt hours, this equates to 45,303 hours. Producing electricity from solar panels mitigates the need for electricity generation from fossil fuels, and consequently the emission of harmful carbon dioxide. Even though solar radiation is low in Sweden in winter, the increased generation of solar energy means that water can be stored in the hydropower plant’s reservoirs. This introduces the possibility of using the energy in water reservoirs in winter instead of summer. Solar panels therefore also have a positive effect during the dark period of the year. Through the Energy Agreement of 2016, Sweden has set an expressed goal of having 100 per cent renewable electricity generation by 2040. From that perspective it feels good to be able to contribute to set goals and a more sustainable world. Now, let’s have a cup of coffee!
LESS TRANSPORT
Space optimisation in our packages, with more screws in a smaller space, is of course a reason as good as any. But as a bonus, optimisation also has positive effects for our environment. Optimising packaging filling means less material is used when manufacturing the cartons. Shipments from our packaging manufacturer to VSB’s warehouse and from VSB’s warehouse to our customers are reduced, along with any stress this may entail. The smooth surfaces of the packaging, free from any protruding details that might create air pockets, also ensure an increased fill rate in your pallet, leading to fewer shipments. Nowadays all packing of screws also takes place in Brämhult, in Borås. As a result, long-haul shipments from Asia have dropped by 25-30%.
DETOXIFIED CONSTRUCTION
BASTA system
BASTA’s database contains construction products that meet BASTA’s high standards for chemical content. EU legislation REACH is the basis for these requirements. The database is open and freely accessible to everyone.
VSB is affiliated with BASTA, a system that aims to remove toxins from construction. BASTA is aimed at anyone who wants to make informed material decisions for the purpose of phasing out hazardous substances. Through a phasing-out process, the system will help Sweden meet its national environmental goal for a “Non-toxic environment”.
Products that meet the requirements for hazardous substances are registered by suppliers and manufacturers. The information in the system is reviewed by third parties and quality assured through regular audits by affiliated suppliers and manufacturers.
Virtually all VSB items meet the requirements set by BASTA.
HEALTHIER CONSTRUCTION
SundaHus and Byggvarubedömningen
In order to meet the requirements set on our products from customers and other target groups in the construction sector, the majority of VSB’s items are also assessed by SundaHus and Byggvarubedömningen, BVB systems.
These systems work in a similar fashion and serve as tools for making informed decisions on materials based on the lowest possible impact on health and the environmental. They are also based on the EU regulation REACH.
Unlike the BASTA system, where the supplier and manufacturer declare and register the products, the assessment and declaration are prepared by SundaHus and BVB.
Many features of the two systems are similar, such as assessments of the presence of substances harmful to health and the environment. SundaHus and BVB also look at the product and resource issues from a sustainability perspective. In addition, BVB has developed criteria for an assessment system based on social conditions.