Environmental Management

The production of steel at New Zealand Steel is a unique and innovative process, that uses many of the resources found in the local environment including air, water, electricity, coal, ironsand and the land on which the mill is located.

• Gaining Consent to Use Natural Resources

  In New Zealand, the Resource Management Act (1991) requires businesses to manage the effects their activities have on the physical and natural environment. Resource consents must be obtained for any activity which is not permitted by a Regional or District Plan. Through the process of evaluating the environmental effects of an activity, the relevant Council will set out specific standards, limits and requirements to ensure that any adverse effects on the local environment are avoided or minimised. For NZ Steel its existing suite of resource consents set out specific conditions which need to continually be meet and include measurement and monitoring of discharges to air and water.

  Prior to the current legislation the NZ Steel’s activities at the Glenbrook Steel Mill were subject to the Clean Air Act, Water and Soil Conservation Act and Town and Country Planning Act. This meant that the manufacturing facilities at the Steel Mill were designed to meet the strict environmental controls for discharges to air, water and land.
  Similarly, the WNH Ironsand mine and the Pacific Steel long-products manufacturing facilities have been established with appropriate environmental controls.

  For New Zealand Steel, the challenge of complying with strict environmental conditions set by the regulatory authorities throughout its life, has been met head on. Care has been taken in controlling the effects of each operation, including: extracting ironsand; use of water, air and raw materials; discharge to air of gases and dusts and waste disposal.
  During the 1980s expansion of the steelmaking operation the New Zealand Steel invested more than $200 million on environmental controls, introducing sophisticated systems to control noise, air and water pollution. Also, the disposal of solid waste products has required the development of a landfill and carefully managed systems to segregate wastes. A significant proportion of the ongoing annual capital expenditure is devoted to improving environmental performance.

  For the Glenbrook and Pacific Steel manufacturing sites, currently resource consents are held for water and air discharges, granted by the Auckland Council and water take permits are granted by Waikato Regional Council. At the Waikato North Head ironsand mine site resource consents are held for discharges to water and land, as well as water take permits, granted by Waikato Regional Council. Resource consents are applied for before an activity is started and are renewed periodically.

  To learn about the our manufacturing process go to The Story of Steel >

• A Leading Environmental Management System

  As people become more aware that the world's natural resources are finite, companies and communities are being pressured to improve their environmental performance, to protect natural resources for future generations and maintain biological diversity in ecosystems. New Zealand Steel became certified to ISO14001 in 2003, and auditing by accredited external auditors will be ongoing.

  An Environmental Management System (EMS) provides a company with a structured process to improve its environmental performance. This in turn has many benefits for the environment, the community and the company's reputation as a responsible commercial organisation. It is important for a company such as New Zealand Steel, which uses many natural resources, to have a formal EMS to control and minimise the environmental effect of its activities. Many companies also find that establishing an EMS and thinking about their processes and products, opens doors to improvements that reduce costs. New Zealand Steel's EMS was established in 1990 when it launched an Environmental Policy. Since then, the company has been implementing components of the EMS, including incorporating controls and monitoring programmes already established before 1990. The emphasis of all Environmental Management Systems is on continual review and improvement.

  Key Components of New Zealand Steel's EMS Include:

  • A High Level Commitment: The company has stipulated in its Environmental Policy that it is committed to continuous improvement in environmental performance. The policy provides direction for the development of objectives and targets.
  • Involving the Whole Company: The company has established an organisational structure involving all levels of staff through which it implements its environmental policy and improvement objectives. Managers are responsible for ensuring that management systems and procedures are in place and maintained to provide consistent compliance with environmental legislation and regulation. The managers are also required to develop and implement plans for continuous improvement of environmental performance. All company employees are encouraged to take responsibility in enhancing environmental performance, even if it is an action as small as turning off a running hose.
  • Assessing Environmental Effects: A full assessment of the environmental effects of each of the Company's operations has been undertaken in the past. Emissions and discharges are also monitored regularly to ensure continued compliance with resource consent conditions.
  • Setting Objectives and Targets: Performance targets have been set by the Company and are continually reviewed and often made more stringent. Many targets set by New Zealand Steel assist in reducing waste and improving energy efficiency.
  • Operational Control: To ensure compliance with environmental conditions - set in the resource consents - production personnel develop operating procedures which outline how certain processes operate. There are also standards which apply to each Company site for management of wastes and hazardous substances.
  • Keeping Records: Records are maintained of all environmental monitoring results and any special environmental studies conducted periodically.
  • Partnership with the Community: An important aspect of the programme is the creation of a community Environmental Committee in 1970. The Committee is made up of representatives from local grower organisations, territorial authorities, the Health Board and senior company managers. The committee meets regularly to review the company's environmental performance and to discuss environmental issues arising from the Glenbrook operations.

   

• Tick for Environmental Choice

  NZ STEEL: NEW CREDENTIALS ARE UNRIVALLED

  MEDIA RELEASE
  Friday, 27 May 2016

  New Zealand Steel and Pacific Steel’s flat and long steel products manufactured at the Glenbrook facilities south of Auckland and in Otahuhu have become the latest products to receive independent environmental endorsement from Environmental Choice.

  According to Francesca Lipscombe, General Manager, New Zealand Ecolabelling Trust, companies put their products forward for an ecolabel to both demonstrate their environmental commitment and to lift their credentials relative to competitors. Integrity, according to Ms Lipscombe is a big part of this.

  “Not only has the manufacturing of New Zealand Steel and Pacific Steel’s flat and long steel products met our robust environmental criteria, they have exceeded the requirements under ‘fit for purpose’ another albeit smaller category of our specification. The Environmental Choice audit, by being so all-encompassing, delivers assurance about the overall integrity of a company. This differentiates our licensees from those in the marketplace who neither have the appetite nor the access to such a robust audit process.

  “Integrity around environmental and performance claims are becoming an issue as imported product, such as steel componentry, with little known or variable credentials confuse the marketplace,” says Ms Lipscombe. 

  

   

  Ms Lipscombe highlighted that Environmental Choice was positioned as the ‘go to’ ecolabel for New Zealand companies and their product line-ups looking to achieve critical differentiation in an increasingly crowded marketplace.

  Chris Kay, Marketing Manager, NZ Steel confirmed that both differentiation and demonstrating integrity were factors behind pursuing an Environmental Choice licence.

  “Last minute product substitution is an industry wide problem that has the potential to completely undermine the anticipated performance attributes of steel products used in structural applications and for roofing/cladding. The Environmental Choice audit, however, includes a significant focus on being fit for purpose. This was part of the overall appeal as it underlined our overall integrity.

  “New Zealand faces numerous stresses and strains as the expectations around construction, trades and materials remains high but increasingly there are instances where this is misplaced,” said Mr Kay.

  The fit for purpose criteria used within the audit specification included identifying the applicable standards, specifications and or consumer/customer requirements; demonstrating how compliance is monitored and maintained (including quality control and assurance procedures); and maintaining records of customer feedback and complaints.

  ‘I don't believe any of the imported steel coming into New Zealand can match New Zealand steel in providing customers with this level of audited integrity and confidence,” said Mr Kay.

  About ECNZ

  Today, Eco Choice Aotearoa (formerly Environmental Choice New Zealand) is one of the world’s oldest and most respected ecolabels. It is part of the Global Ecolabelling Network (GEN) a membership of Type 1 ecolabels (ISO 14024) hailing from nearly 60 countries.

  Eco Choice Aotearoa encourages sustainable leadership and competition among industry, and is a crucial tool in transitioning Aotearoa New Zealand to a low-emissions, circular economy.

  The ecolabel offers everyday Kiwis an unmatched level of assurance that what they’re buying has met environmental best practice, is safe for them and their families and fit-for-purpose.

  While the Ministry for the Environment owns the trademark, the non-profit is governed by an independent Board of Trustees. It is a pass/ fail certification which does not accept offsets as an alternative to addressing emissions at their source.
  Eco Choice Aotearoa currently certifies products and services with a combined annual revenue of more than NZD$2 billion.

  For more information on the Eco Choice Aotearoa programme visit ecochoiceaotearoa.org.nz