OKNOPLAST is investing in ecological solutions and striving to minimise the environmental impact of its production as much as possible. The company has purchased and installed a catalytic furnace worth PLN 1,200,000. Operating at 400 °C, this device burns volatile organic compounds, reducing atmospheric emissions by 95 percent. The furnace has been installed in the lamination department, which accounts for almost 80 percent of the total emissions from the factory near Kraków.
For years, OKNOPLAST has systematically carried out a sustainable‑development strategy whose chief environmental goal is to increase the energy efficiency of its production plants. The company does this on two levels:
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Modernising the machinery park – regularly retiring energy‑intensive equipment and installing energy‑efficient machines that meet the highest environmental standards.
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Investing in alternative, renewable energy sources.
Near‑total reduction of volatile compounds
One of the company’s latest and largest energy‑saving investments was the installation of a catalytic furnace that functions as a thermal oxidiser for volatile compounds. Thanks to this decision, emissions in the profile‑lamination department have been reduced by as much as 95 percent. Now, instead of harmful substances, almost nothing but water vapour is released into the atmosphere. Considering that the lamination department was responsible for 78 percent of total emissions from the Ochmanów factory and generated the most pollution, installing the new device has become one of the most significant steps in implementing the company’s pro‑environmental policy.
The new unit draws part of its energy from a photovoltaic installation launched on the production‑hall roofs this spring. In addition to installing the new oxidiser, the lamination department has been sealed, making the production process even more airtight so that substances that could negatively affect air quality do not escape outside.
“The anti‑smog resolutions adopted in increasing numbers in recent years show that air quality has become a priority for Poles. Public debate often focuses on emissions from household boilers, yet industrial plants also influence what we breathe. We see growing customer expectations and the need to care not only about the quality of our products but also about how they are made. Therefore, with every new investment, we ensure not only that it streamlines production but also that it minimises its impact on the natural environment, our common good, which we should protect every day,”
says Łukasz Marzec, Chief Operating Officer of the OKNOPLAST Group.
A key certificate
The results of all environmental efforts are therefore fully measurable. In OKNOPLAST’s production halls—compared with the previous heating season—gas consumption has decreased by 50 percent, and electricity use has also been significantly reduced. Implementing every requirement of the environmental‑management standard has resulted in ISO 14001 certification. This document can be regarded as the culmination of all efforts to realise a comprehensive corporate social‑responsibility policy. Obtaining ISO 14001 in practice means maximally limiting the organisation’s environmental impact and, consequently, confirming OKNOPLAST’s place among the most eco‑friendly industrial plants in Europe.
