Tupy’s Environmental Management System counts on a series of monitoring indicators which allows for the company to search for the continuous improvement and development of actions in order to reduce the use of natural resources and to eliminate or minimize the impacts of its productive activities on the environment. The investments in that area have reached R$ 50 million, used in construction, equipment and other process improvement actions, at the company’s manufacturing plants in Joinville (Santa Catarina) and Mauá (São Paulo).

Among the measures implanted are new furnace exhaust and control systems that collect particle materials by means of sleeve filters with efficiency rates that vary from 90 to 98%. Also, effluents and residue emissions have been taken care of. New treatment stations were designed and built and Tupy’s own landfill, at the Joinville plant, has already two phases concluded out of three that will be necessary for its total adequacy. (See other items in this chapter).

Characterized as an electro-intensive industry, Tupy also tries to improve the performance of other equipment and processes, obtaining continuous gains in relation to the use of electricity. On the other hand, more polluting energy sources such as wood and petroleum liquefied gas have already been replaced by cleaner fuels such as natural gas.

The Environment Foundation of the State of Santa Catarina (FATMA), the institution that is responsible for the enforcement and follow up of Tupy’s Environmental Management System, has acknowledged the 2005 improvements and granted Tupy that year’s edition of the “Fritz Müller Award”, which is also been granted this year.

Tupy’s Environmental Management System is also paying attention to environmental education and has been working to alert employees. Besides specific training programs and lectures, the company gives special attention to the Environment Week, when it promotes a series of activities and encourages individual awareness through a series of interactive activities. For the community and other interested people, the company maintains a specific phone line and an e-mail.

Toll free: 0 800 727 8400 (in Brazil).
E-mail: meioambiente@tupy.com.br.