Next stage of green initiatives for Midlands firm

With the Government’s strong commitment to renewable energy, recently expanding the renewables target to 20% of electricity generation by 2020, local employer Redditch based Oakland International is leading the way with a number of energy saving initiatives during its 10-years in business, with their latest ‘green’ initiative being wind power.

Oakland International, as finalists in this year’s Chamber of Commerce Herefordshire & Worcestershire 2008 Green Business of the Year Award, also The Growth Business of the Year Award and the Excellence in the Food & Drink Industry Award, is well aware of the company’s environmental impact, so much so that as they have grown and expanded operations over ten-years of trading, instilling a ‘green’ growth philosophy throughout the whole of the company. The introduction of recycling schemes, replacing energy rich with renewable alternatives and increasing the use of clean eco-friendly alternatives, the company continues to thrive. Oakland and its expanding logistics and cold storage operations will continue, like many others in business around the UK, to affect the local, national and international environmental stage unless investment in new technologies in made. Oakland MD, Dean Attwell stated: “Oakland has a long tradition of environmental initiatives and forward planning to safeguard the company’s future. Helping reduce Oakland’s carbon footprint, a number of changes have already been successfully implemented including the reduction for our suppliers of their carbon footprint by up to 86% through the use of our case consolidation and pallet consolidation schemes operating from our Redditch based hub.

“In addition we have installed energy efficient chilling systems, invested and developed an on-site eco-friendly reed bed system to treat Oakland’s waste water, along with a whole host of other successful recycling initiates which continue to help the company improve its environmental performance. We are now looking towards wind power, using wind turbines to help us achieve Oakland’s goal of becoming carbon neutral by the close of 2009. As a significant local employer we hope the installation of wind turbines will help us create a carbon-neutral site, secure Oakland’s long term economic success and viability, and help the company stabilise the cost of energy in an increasingly volatile energy market.”

Oakland’s proposed wind turbines will provide the company with a source of clean, green renewable energy. Said Dean: “The wider benefits of the scheme encompasses an environmental education initiative for local schools, it will help identify the local area as innovative, forward-thinking and environmentally aware, and it will be a major contributor to the District Council’s regional renewable energy target of 10% of energy generation by 2010 helping offset the emissions of thousands of tons of carbon dioxide per year.

“We are particularly keen on wind energy because it is the best form of renewable energy. We live on site and have been to visit other wind turbine installations to satisfy our personal concerns over issues such as noise and vibration - we were extremely satisfied with what we saw and we have no problem with the turbines being located next to where we live.”

At a national level, Britain has identified that it needs to take steps to ensure security of energy supply. Dean added: “Increasing dependence on decentralised energy will help steadily reduce the UK’s dependence on fossil fuels, remove the associated price volatility and secure our employees financial futures. We need to act now if we are to stay competitive in this fast moving national and international business arena.”