NEWSLETTER

Abonnez-vous à notre newsletter

 
RAPPORT D'ACTIVITE

Téléchargez notre rapport d’activité

Download our activity report in ENGLISH here

Respecting the environment

/Respecting the environment
Respecting the environment 2018-03-12T20:54:01-10:00

Measuring our environmental impact

French Polynesia has not been spared by climate change and its multiple manifestations. To implement an environmental sustainability strategy, we measured the environmental impact of our organization. Our first greenhouse gas (GHG) assessment was finalized using the methods of Bilan Carbone® (the carbon accounting system of Association Bilan Carbone) in 2014. This study was carried out on the basis of data from the 2012 fiscal year and made it possible to determine the most significant sources of greenhouse gas emissions. After this analysis, targeted and company-specific reduction measures were proposed and implemented. Given that the frequency of the GHG assessment has been set at three years, the last one was performed in 2015. The biggest sources of emissions are still inputs and freight. “Inputs” consist of the materials and equipment, services, and current and annual purchases necessary for company operations, while “freight” corresponds to the merchandise, equipment, tools and company supplies transported by sea, road or air, and raw materials not factored into “inputs.”  By 2025, by means of reducing its energy consumption and complying with sustainable purchasing, LCPS commits to reducing the carbon footprint of its products by 10% and applying this measuring method at its production site in the South of France. With approximately eight hours of daily sunshine, photovoltaic solar energy carries enormous potential for the Polynesian islands as an alternative energy solution. We are planning to reduce our energy consumption by 70% by installing solar panels and using a biofuel instead of the fossil fuel used to power certain equipment.

Managing effluent and waste

Reducing waste and effluent was the first measure implemented by the company because of the commonsense actions it entailed. Before we converted our waste, our first step was to implement sorting measures. At the Tahiti site, selective sorting is carried out with no fewer than seven categories of waste. Industrial waste, such as the plants used for the manufacturing of products, along with quilted paper and office waste (food remains, coffee grounds, tea, etc.) are composted. Crushed sheets of paper and used cardboard are used to cushion the empty spaces in our shipping boxes.  At the France site, PSi selectively sorts its waste. By giving a second life to certain kinds of waste, we reduce our environmental impact by diverting it from traditional collection routes.
These actions allow us to enact a circular economy. In 2016, two types of production waste resulting from our industrial processes—tamanu shells and noni pulp—found a second life on our agricultural plantation. These examples of conversion show that it is possible to consider waste as an exploitable resource. As for water management, LCPS is linked to the municipality’s distribution network and, although there is no monitoring system in place, has collected its consumption data twice yearly since July 2015. Studies have been conducted at the work stations of water consumers. Our Aubagne facilities in the South of France are equipped with a water and electricity consumption management system and a reprocessing station for pollutants, which enables effluent containing low levels of inorganic materials to be discharged into the sewage-disposal system.

Developing ecological responsibility

For the past few years, all of our company’s decisions have been influenced by and subject to principles of ecological responsibility. At LCPS, numerous awareness campaigns are carried out among our staff. The areas targeted by these campaigns deal with the difficulties encountered by the whole team in terms of continual improvement. All new employees are made aware of ecological responsibility on their first day at work when they are handed a localized guide called Polynesia’s Little Green Booklet. Externally, we endeavor to share our best practices for ecological responsibility with the public at large through events, meetings and televised reports. During visits to our production unit in Tahiti, we particularly emphasize ecologically-responsible actions and policies in order to raise awareness among consumers and help them become more discerning in their purchasing decisions. This discussion not only captures the attention of the island’s primary and secondary schools, but also reassures tourists of the values held by local industries. On our plantation, “natural” fertilization entails bringing only natural materials (those of natural origin) on one’s plot of land. In our models, we promote the growth of living organisms present in soil, which, above all, are decomposers of organic material. This approach consists of mulching, or spreading organic material directly on the ground, around the plants (compost, algae, nutshells, etc.). Our production site in Tahiti is committed to a carbon neutral policy which, in 2025, after it reduces its environmental impact, should allow it to overwhelmingly compensate for its emissions through the carbon sequestration that results from its involvement in agricultural production.