Our production and work environment
International standard for environmental management
AVK complies with the internationally accepted ISO 14001 standard, which provides a foundation for eco-management in companies. We work hard to fulfil local environmental standards and minimise our environmental impacts, both in terms of production processes and materials.
We are proud of having obtained several other certifications as well. It demonstrates our reliability as global leaders when it comes to creating sustainable solutions across the world:
- ISO 9001 – Quality management
- ISO / TS 29001 – Quality management in the oil & gas industry
- ISO 14001 – Environmental management
- ISO 50001 – Energy Management
- ISO 45001 – Occupational health and safety management
EcoVadis sustainability rating
AVK International has been awarded an EcoVadis silver medal. EcoVadis have rated more than 130,000 companies across the world, and we are proud that our efforts have earned us a spot among the top 15% of all rated companies. We will continuously focus on contributing to a more sustainable future. Read more about AVK’s efforts and goals in our sustainability report.
EcoVadis performs business sustainability ratings based on a number of CSR related indicators within the theme's environment, labor & human rights, ethics and sustainable procurement. The methodology is built on international sustainability standards, and the rating evaluates how well a company has integrated the principles of sustainability and CSR into their business and management system. Performance is rated by assessing company policies, actions and results as well as by inputs from third-party and external stakeholders.
Environmentally friendly production
At the AVK Advanced Castings foundry, supplying the AVK Group with castings for valves and hydrants and other metal castings, we use the innovative lost foam method, and this method allows for an improvement in performance, reducing energy consumption and the amount of particle emissions into the atmosphere. In our castings, we use recycled steel scrap as the principal component – up to 85-90% of the total melt.
Every year, AVK’s production of primarily plastic pallets and surface boxes is based on about 19,000 tons of recycled plastics at our production sites AVK Plast in Denmark and AVK Plastics in The Netherlands. The recycled plastics material that we use includes plastic bottle caps that have been grinded and cutting waste from recycled airbags. When sold as new quality products, the lifetime of plastics is increased by approx. 50 years.
The AVK Group has strict requirements and standards for energy and water consumption its production companies must meet. Consequently, all companies make great efforts to reduce consumption wherever they can. Also, it is our objective that we always dispose of discarded materials in an environmentally sound way, and that all our production companies in the long-term meet the requirement of zero waste to landfill.
Examples of recent initiatives to reduce our consumption at AVK International, and thereby minimize our environmental impact, are:
- New preheating process via heat exchanger prior to coating
- New low-energy ventilation system at offices and factory
- LED light sources with movement sensors
- New conveyors driven by frequency-controlled motors
- Space heating via heat pump at new factory
- Rooftop solar panels
A safe work environment
AVK is a global company operating worldwide and must as such take different circumstances and conditions in different countries into account and the consequent risks. In all countries where AVK is present, it is fundamental to act responsibly towards employees, environment and the surrounding society. The AVK Group keeps a close watch on all business units and ensures through regular visits that all AVK companies comply with the defined human rights principles and criteria.We carefully monitor the number of work-related accidents and work proactively on preventive measures. The result of this is a steady decline in the number of accidents. We also ensure maintenance, inspection and development of working conditions, equipment and tools that are necessary to complete a given business process.
The AVK Group has agreed to adhere to standards that our suppliers must adhere to as well in order to become a certified supplier of the Group. Sustainability is vital for us throughout the entire supply chain. Therefore, we only cooperate with partners with high ethical standards, who are strongly committed to comply with international legislation in the field of labor.