VWSA thinks blue to go green

When it comes to the environment, Volkswagen Group South Africa (VWSA) really knows its oats. This much was confirmed at the WasteCon 2012 gala event in East London last week, when the company was awarded the very highest accolade in green credentials. This is the second environmental accolade awarded to VWSA this year.

WasteCon is the largest and most comprehensive waste management conference in South Africa. The gala event saw VWSA receive first place in the Large Organisations category in the Department of Economic Development, Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEDEAT) and Institute of Waste Management of Southern Africa’s (IWMSA) Top Green Organisation Awards.

The awards recognise innovative practices in managing and improving air quality, biodiversity, climate change, energy efficiency, water usage and waste issues.

The recognition should not come as a surprise to the vehicle manufacturer as the introduction of its environmental strategy, “Think Blue Factory”, has seen the group work toward achieving a 25 percent reduction in all environmentally significant areas such as water, energy, waste, solvent and CO2 emissions.

“Our goal is achieve this target by 2018. This is in line with the other 98 Volkswagen plants around the world and we will strive to set standards here in South Africa,” says director of production at VWSA, Tom du Plessis.

In August, VWSA received the prestigious SJM Flex Environmental Award at the Exporter’s Club Regional Event for implementing environmentally responsible manufacturing practices.