ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION - DAILY WORK...

Yulia Kovalchuk, senior environmentalist at the KASTAMONU Alabuga MDF plant talked about the company's environmental policy and how it is implemented in practice

What is KASTAMONU’s environmental policy? 

The main objective of the environmental policy of our company is to ensure environmental safety, minimize its negative impact on the environment, reduce the volume and toxicity of pollutant emissions discharged into the atmosphere and the amount of industrial waste produced, and support the environmentally responsible and economically viable management of forests. Our environmental policy is based on the Russian Federation Constitution, federal laws and other legal acts of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Tatarstan in environmental protection and the rational use of natural resources. The company has introduced an integrated management system in accordance with international standards ISO 14001, ISO 9001, OHSAS 18001. In 2015, we successfully passed the certification audit of our environmental management systems (EMS), quality management system (QMS), and occupational safety and health. 

Why is this important for the company? 

This is important, because the company’s image and our competitiveness in the MDF production market revolves around our environmental policy. Now both producers and consumers adhere to the idea of social responsibility. If the company does not take environmental issues into account, it is bad for its image. Many people prefer to work with producers who care about environmental safety issues. 

Does it cost a lot? How much is invested into environmental protection? 

KASTAMONU spends a lot of money to ensure environmental safety. Last year, investments in our environmental protection measures and those implemented in cooperation with public organizations amounted to more than RUB 36 million. And this is without taking into account the cost of environmental protection equipment that has been installed at the plant, such as our highly efficient gas-cleaning units (we have 45 such units), and wastewater treatment plants of global foreign companies for industrial wastewater, etc. 

What exactly is being done to protect the environment? What measures are taken? 

Firstly we take measures to minimize the negative impact of the company on the environment. For example, with regard to sewage treatment plants, we spend millions of rubles on chemicals to ensure the wastewater treatment of industrial water so that the quality of our wastewater corresponds to the maximum allowable concentration limits for discharge. The company has organized a platform for the separate collection and temporary storage of waste. We dispose of the waste at specialized organizations licensed to collect, transport, process, recycle and dispose of I-IV hazardous class waste. We use about 69% of the total waste from production in the manufacturing cycle. We help enlarge the forested area of the region through the annual planting of fast-growing tree species in the republic. KASTAMONU is one of the founders and active members of the ENAT project. In 2014 the company participated in the competition Ecoleader 2014, where it took second place. 

What does an environmentalist exactly do? 

Environmentalists work to ensure environmental safety. This means compliance with the rules and requirements of the current environmental legislation of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Tatarstan, development and preparation of environmental action plans and reports, monitoring of ambient air in the emissions impact zone, monitoring of the state of the wastewater produced by the company, recycling and waste disposal, management of environmental documentation. All companies have to report to the government and the environmental authorities on compliance of the business activities with legislation in respect of environmental protection.

14 years Yulia Kovalchuk has worked as an environmentalist, three years of which at the KASTAMONU plant

What challenges did you face?

The biggest challenge in my work is the overall level of environmental awareness and literacy. We have to explain some things to people and educate them. The staff working at the plant sometimes do not always have even rudimentary knowledge in this area. For example, many workers could not understand why you need to separate waste. Of course, we make every effort to educate our employees, engaging them in various environmental protection activities. I have been working as an environmentalist for more than 14 years, three of which I have spent in KASTAMONU. And now we have gained full mutual understanding with our colleagues, including from the leadership. We are moving forward.

In Russia it is still rare to be an environmentalist. Why did you choose this profession? 

Probably because it is my passion. Environmentalists work in industrial plants and contribute to something bigger than ourselves. We want our children to live on a clean planet, breathe fresh air, drink clean water, and bathe in clean rivers and lakes. While everyone needs to think about the future, not everyone is doing so. In this sense environmentalists hold a very responsible position. Working in manufacturing plants, we have the capability and means to protect the environment. For us, these are not empty words, but the reality of our daily work on the ground. 

Where did you study? 

I graduated from the Faculty of Biology at our Yelabuga State Institute. Now it is called the Yelabuga Institute of the Kazan Federal University. 

How did you get a job at KASTAMONU? 

Before KASTAMONU I worked in the engineering industry in a metal processing plant. But in every person’s life there comes a time when that person wants to change something. I want to grow and develop, to learn something new. For me, the industry in which I was working ceased to hold any interest. I wanted to get a job at a completely different plant, and I found one. 

What do you think are your biggest personal achievements in your career and in your life as a whole? 

My big life achievement is my family; my daughter. She is almost 14 years old, and she is studying English and at art school. In my career my big achievement is the extensive experience I have gained in my field. So much is still to come. I feel that right now I am where I am supposed to be; I am doing the right thing, and my career is going really well. 

What do you like doing in your spare time? 

I like to spend weekends with my family. If we can, we go on a trip to the countryside, to a recreation center. In winter we love to go snowboarding and skiing, and in summer swimming and walking in the woods.