We submitted our ingenious idea after Cummins, the largest independent maker of diesel engines and related products in the world, called on innovators of all sizes to come forward with sustainable innovations to help Cummins achieve their Environmental targets in the UK.

The Cummins Environmental Gateway, launched in partnership with Marcela Navarro, CEO of Business Cubed (formerly responsible for the successful launch and deployment of the RBS Innovation Gateway), is looking for green and innovative suppliers to positively impact Cummins 2020 Environmental targets whilst promoting supplier inclusion.

The project team, led by Denis Ford, Corporate Indirect Purchasing Leader EMEA, NE/SE Asia & South Pacific at Cummins, is delighted with the quality of the finalists. Denis comments: “We have been very impressed with the quality of the innovations received and even more with the potential for environmental impact and savings. Envirowater should be very proud to be a winner in the Cummins Environmental Gateway”.

Envirowater is the business behind the Free Flow Valve. We offer water free solutions for businesses wishing to drastically reduce water consumption and save money by converting standard urinals to water free.  It’s completely chemical free, easy-to-clean, simple to fit with no on-going maintenance. There’s no smell, bacteria or blockages.

Tony Pegg, MD explains: “Our Free Flow Valve is like no other in the market. We can convert bathrooms to become water free quickly and easily. Even if you are already saving water, our solution allows you to switch to 100% water free. It is chemical free and reduces bad odours and blockages. It is a worthy innovation not just due to environmental factors and cost savings. It also revolutionises the men’s bathroom experience.”

Tony continued: “We are delighted to be finalists in the Cummins Environmental Gateway. It is great to be recognised by a prestigious engineering firm like Cummins for our innovative product. It is making such a difference to the environment and helping to save water one urinal at a time.”

Envirowater was one of more than 100 companies from across the globe that submitted an innovation to the Cummins Environmental Gateway when Cummins UK launched the programme back in August 2016.

Envirowater’s idea will be presented on March 2, to a high calibre panel from Cummins who will decide which innovations will have the opportunity to be implemented, and if successful, scaled up, on Cummins sites in the UK.

Tony Pegg, MD at Envirowater notes:

“Projects like the Cummins Environmental Gateway provide a great opportunity for innovations to gain recognition and credibility on a national and international scale, accelerating our opportunities to access markets and scale.

“This project with Cummins would help Envirowater to further test, analyse and measure the environmental impact that the Free Flow Valve will have on water saving across the UK and beyond.”

Finalists like Envirowater, if successful, will have the opportunity to test their innovations in Cummins sites in the UK.

About the environmental gateway

This programme has been developed with the assistance of Marcela Navarro from Business Cubed. Marcela successfully implemented the Royal Bank of Scotland’s Innovation Gateway, which in its first year saved 40,000 tonnes of CO2 and 200 million litres of water, which equated to £7.5 million when rolled out across the banks UK estate. “What was designed and deployed at RBS worked brilliantly for the business,” Marcela says. “We recognised the need to create both business and community value. Their process was so successful that the model, was then taken up to multi-sector level. I am delighted to work with Cummins to de-risk the adoption of sustainable innovations in their supply chain”.

The judges on the panel include:

-         Antonio Leitao (Vice President – Europe ABO)

-        Richard Keane (Global Operations FE Director)

-        Mark Dhennin (Director Energy & Environment)

-        Denis Ford (International Sourcing Leader, EMEA, NE/SE Asia & South Pacific)

-         Professor Steve Evans – Director of Research and Industrial Sustainability:

Cambridge University

-         Geoff Burnand – CEO: Investing For Good

Cummins is launched in August 2016 a new programme that connects with the supply chain to help improve the company’s environmental impact and reduce its carbon footprint.  Called the Environmental Gateway, it aims to discover innovative submissions from suppliers to Cummins’ UK facilities, whose goods and services can assist the company in achieving and surpassing environmental targets.

The project’s stated aims are to increase diverse supplier inclusion, increase innovation within the environmental supply chain and reduce costs.

The project team represented by all UK locations came together and identified eight key areas where the team felt that innovation would assist them in meeting the aims of the project. On top of these eight areas, the team is also seeking innovations from a ninth area. This covers any other goods and services that will assist Cummins with their environmental targets.

About Cummins

Cummins Inc., a global power leader, is a corporation of complementary business segments that design, manufacture, distribute and service diesel and natural gas engines and related technologies, including fuel systems, controls, air handling, filtration, emission solutions and electrical power generation systems. Headquartered in Columbus, Indiana, (USA) Cummins currently employs approximately 55,400 people worldwide and serves customers in approximately 190 countries and territories through a network of approximately 600 company-owned and independent distributor locations and approximately 7,400 dealer locations. Cummins earned $1.39 billion on sales of $17.5 billion in 2016. Press releases can be found on the Web at www.cummins.com. Follow Cummins on Twitter at www.twittter.com/cummins and on YouTube at www.youtube.com/cumminsinc.

Media coverage

You can read some of the media coverage here:

• Halifax Courier Business News 
• Topic UK Business Magazine
• On Magazine

The post We are Winners in Cummins global search for sustainable innovations appeared first on Enviro Water.

The Sustainability Hub, Keele University,.

The Hub is not just a building it is a community. It facilitates communication and interaction and allows research and may help interdisciplinary research. It allows students to find out about research and courses and visitors can see displays on the latest research happening at the university and can access outreach activities. Businesses can find out about green technologies and explore how they could add value.  The University’s environmental policy sets challenging targets in reducing its environmental impact. The vision is that the unique campus location can become a showcase for environmental best practice.

The Challenge

The Sustainability Hub uses rainwater to flush the gent’s urinals. This still has to be processed so has a cost implication and rainwater is extremely precious. The challenge was to reduce chemicals used to clean the washrooms whilst reducing water consumption. They wanted to provide a bacterium and smell free environment for the staff, the hundreds of students and members of the public who pass through the hub each year. 

The Approach

In order to prove the value of the Free Flow Valve the Sustainability Hub decided to oversee a trial with three urinals being converted to water free at the beginning of 2014. Regular checks were made by Envirowater staff to ensure everything went to plan and everything was in order.

Results

The Sustainability Hub have saved around 300,000 litres of rain water during 2014 and during that time the only maintenance was to change the Free Flow inner valve according to Envirowater specification after six months usage. During 2014 there has been no use of chemicals to clean the urinals and no smells or build-up of bacteria were recorded. In addition because no water was used there were no blockages or floods.

“ The Sustainability Hub is at the cutting edge of the environmental policies of the University and so it made perfect sense to trial the Free Flow Valve in this unique environment and I have been delighted with the results. There have been no problems with the washroom facilities and Envirowater have proved  the benefits of their system. In addition, Envirowater have been willing participants in supporting the Hub with their outreach via our Chemistry at Work Days for local students and we are proud to show off gents washrooms to both sexes on our tours “      

Dr. Sharon George Sustainability Hub Keele University

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