McCourt Label achieves ISO 14001 environmental certification

US converter McCourt Label has achieved the ISO 14001 accreditation. The ISO 14001 international standard provides both a model for streamlining environmental management, and guidelines to ensure environmental issues are considered within decision-making practices. According to McCourt's environmental management representative and operations manager, Bert Clark, ‘All McCourt employees did a great job during the environmental audit. They performed flawlessly – no major findings, no minor findings, and no improvement opportunities.’

McCourt Label attained the accreditation after a series of audits by NSF at its Lewis Run facility. The site will be assessed annually to ensure continual development of the Environmental Management System (EMS) currently in place. The McCourt Environmental Policy, which serves as the foundation of the management system, follows:

McCourt Label Company recognizes and accepts its responsibility for the environment as an integral part of its services and operations. McCourt is committed to excellence and leadership in protecting the environment and will strive to achieve this objective through an effective Environmental Management System which adheres to the following principles: 

? Compliance: it is McCourt's policy to manage all of its activities to meet or surpass the standards of all relevant environmental laws and regulations, and other requirements.

? Continuous improvement: the McCourt Label manufacturing facility in Lewis Run, Pennsylvania pledges to implement and operate the ISO 14001 Environmental Management System to further enhance our environmental performance. Main objectives are to continuously improve environmental performance by:
     o Investigating the reduction of hazardous and toxic chemicals
     o Reducing, reusing and recycling waste and packaging
     o Improving the efficiency of energy usage
We will establish measurable environmental improvement goals and targets and regularly audit and review environmental performance. We will strive for cost-effectiveness in environmental management by improving our operations.

? Pollution prevention: We will take into account the impact of our environmental aspects when making decisions. We will ensure that a pollution prevention plan is implemented

? Communication: This policy will be communicated to all parties interested in the performance of our environmental management system. We will provide training and education to our employees to ensure that they can work safely, efficiently, and in an environmentally sound manner. We will communicate openly with employees, clients, the public, government, and regulatory agencies concerning the company's environmental performance and improvement plans.

Dave Ferguson, president of McCourt said, ‘We are proud to be one of a few companies in the US label industry to hold this accreditation, and minimizing our impact on the environment will continue to be a focus as the company grows.’