Jotun promotes safety and environmental awareness on World Environment Day under the patronage of Dubai Municipality

The only paint manufacturer which is a member of the Emirates Green Building Council, Jotun's ecological initiatives include a comprehensive recycling program which has enabled it to avoid toxic leaks into the environment and reuse 9.6 million liters of its waste water and 63,000 liters of its waste solvents last year.

The company awarded the winners of the 'Poster', 'Slogan' and 'Locate & Control the Hazard' competitions during its World Environment Day celebration yesterday, which was boosted by the presence of Mr. Redha Salman, Head of Environment Protection and Safety Section of Dubai Municipality. In addition to taking part in various activities, employees and their families also had the opportunity to view the winning entries, which were on display during the event.

Entries to the three contests were pre-judged and winners were declared at the awarding ceremony. The poster competition was open only to school-age children of employees, who had to highlight conservation of natural resources, his/her role in pollution prevention and control and global environmental issues with their choice of media, which were supplied by Jotun. Aimed at raising safety awareness, the Locate & Control the Hazard competition required participants to identify the hazard in the work area, create and implement a corrective action plan and highlight the positive results.

'Our company has pioneered environment-friendly manufacturing processes by utilizing the latest technology for automation and bulk handling of raw materials; consequently we have raised the standards in the industry also by our recycling program, which has significantly reduced our impact on the natural environment. By actively involving our employees and their families and recognizing their efforts during the World Environment Day, we hope to strengthen our company's overall commitment to protecting the environment as well as set a trend among other firms to pursue ecological initiatives as a significant part of their corporate social responsibility,'

said Erik Aaberg, General Manager, Jotun UAE.

Jotun has put in place various recycling programs aimed at reducing the impact of its different by-products including pallets, plastic and metal drums, waste water, waste solvents and powder collected from the dust collector at the water-based plant. The company's recycling efforts have actually enabled it to reduce operating costs by reusing resources such as water. The remaining waste water, which has been certified as non-hazardous by the Dubai Municipality according to established guidelines, is sent to the Sewage Treatment plant at Aweer.

The leading paint manufacturer's recycling program is part of a waste disposal system implemented in order to properly segregate hazardous and non-hazardous wastes, ensuring the protection of the environment and the employee who is handling the disposal. Jotun's safety and environment preservation initiatives have been recently recognized by the Dubai Municipality with its first Workplace Safety Award - 2006 for the company's stringent health and safety standards on occupational accident prevention, natural resources preservation and fire and emergency response.

'Our successful implementation of our health and safety standards and environmental programs are perfect examples of the tremendous difference companies could make in upholding the health and safety welfare of their precious human capital and in preserving the environment. Being able to recycle most of our water resources in addition to working closely with the Dubai Municipality to maintain a proper and safe waste disposal system makes us undoubtedly the most environment-friendly paint manufacturer in the region,' concluded Aaberg.