Cork chemical firm receives EU prize

SUCCESS in the European Better Environment Awards for Industry (EBEAFI) would increase the profile of the Cork based Henkel Ireland plant within the multinational arena, its managing director said yesterday.

This would increase the likelihood of investment in the Little Island plant in Cork harbour.

Mr Bob Rutledge was speaking after Henkel was presented with an award in the "Managing Towards Sustainability" category, by the President, Mrs Robinson, at a ceremony in Dublin Castle.

The award was for its "total commitment to the environment". Henkel Ireland produces a detergent additive which acts as a bleach activator in low temperature washes, and reagents used in copper mining.

The company spends £250,000 annually on environmental research and development to minimise waste and its environmental impact.

The Irish company was among the 14 winners representing the best examples of environmental excellence in European industry.

The recycling of photocopying machines by Rank Xerox in Britain a forest machine by the Finnish company, Plustech Oy and mercury free energy saving lamps for exterior lighting, by the German company, Osram, were among the developments which also received awards.

The bulk of the developments had multiple advantages, bringing lower costs and greater efficiencies and improving the company profile, as well as being of benefit to the environment.

At the awards ceremony, hosted by Forbairt, Mrs Robinson said the development of environment friendly technologies was an issue of "huge interest" to European citizens.

She was glad to see the participation of companies which had a sense of excellence" and wished to go "beyond the standards laid down in regulations".

"I am also glad to see that it is not just multinationals, but that small firms also are involved."

The people who received the awards did so for very divergent reasons but they all had one thing in common, Mrs Robinson said. "They were all men." She said the next time around she hoped to see an improved "gender balance".

The awards are used by the EU to promote environmental responsibility in industry as it is considered to be a sector where most environmental improvements can be made.

Mr Rutledge told The Irish Times Henkel Ireland had not set out to win any award. The company had an ongoing environmental management project, in which it invested "an awful lot of time and effort, but we find that there is a payback you are more economical, you spend less, you waste less.

"There is a new understanding in industry that environmental concern can be good for you." This was especially so, he said, with the chemical industry. The bad image the industry had was "behind us now", he said.