HilL Laboratories has achieved Gold level Enviro-Mark certification at its Clyde Street laboratory

Hill Laboratories has become the first analytical laboratory in New Zealand to achieve Enviro-Mark Gold certification.

Hill Laboratories has long been aware of the importance of running a laboratory in an environmentally friendly way. Not only is it good for wild life that live around its laboratories and in the wider countryside, it is a motivating factor for its staff. Most laboratory operations throughout New Zealand have strict waste regulations that they need to comply with regularly, but no other analytical laboratory in New Zealand has gone as far as gaining gold certification as part of the Enviro-Mark program, an environmental initiative managed by Landcare Research.

The Enviro-Mark program can be adopted by any organisation. “Essentially it is an environmental management system to ensure you can operate in a profitable and environmentally friendly way” says Lucy Hodgson, Health and Safety manager at Hill Laboratories. “This program has helped us to develop a very effective EMS or environmental management system that the staff at Hill Laboratories are proud to be involved with.”

Upon taking a closer look Enviro-Mark has helped improve our environmental performance with for example the development of a new method for the digestion of plant samples using microwave digestion. “This new method has dramatically reduced the use of water and power, and it also reduces the amount of fumes created. What is even better is this new method is also more profitable creating a win all round” says Team Leader Caroline McDermid.

Over the next few years a whole range of initiatives shall be introduced at Hill Laboratories to ensure we are continually monitoring and improving our environmental management system that we have developed.

“It has taken two years of hard work to become the first analytical lab in New Zealand to gain Enviro-Mark gold certification. But it has been worth it. There is a renewed sense of environmental responsibility within the organisation and a real desire to ensure that we can be good environmental citizens when we work for Hill Laboratories” says corporate services manager Peter Astwood.

If you want to find out more about the Enviro-Mark program visit the Enviro-Mark website at www.enviro-mark.co.nz/