28 / 40
September 2015
Z
arrebini said: “Therewill always
be a trade-off between invest-
ing in growth and investing in
sustainability. Pursuing growth may
seem like the more glamorous busi-
ness option but, in my experience,
making provision for green projects
reaps substantial rewards in the
longer term.”
Cleaner manufacturing processes,
sourcing environment-friendly and
recycled raw materials, recycling for
profit, and affiliation to international
quality and environmental standards
all play a role in Zarrebini’s sustain-
able business strategy.
He said that cleaner, greener
manufacturing often involved the
purchase of costly new equipment
and machinery but that this was
almost always accompanied by
greater efficiency and productivity
as well as a better product, leading
to greater demand. The results speak
for themselves. Van Dyck Carpets is
growing itsmarket share year on year
and theMathe Group has quadrupled
the number of tyres it has recycled.
Capital expenditure of R80million
at Van Dyck Carpets over the last few
years – includes the installation of the
largest state-of-the-art fibre extrusion
line in the country. The company was
awarded Carbon Trust Standard cer-
tification in May this year – the only
South African manufacturer to have
achieved this international mark of
excellence for reducing carbon emis-
sions.
“The Carbon Trust Standard ac-
creditation provides independent
assurance from a globally respected
organisation that Van Dyck Carpets
is successfully measuring, managing
and reducing carbon emissions every
year,” Zarrebini said.
“Our commitment to energy ef-
ficiency is adding momentum to the
ongoing national drive to address
South Africa’s energy challenge and
help diminish the harmful effects of
climate change.”
Elaborating on his proactive sus-
tainable development stance, Zarre-
bini said: ‘When the government
tables the Carbon Tax Bill next year
and introduces a carbon tax, organ-
isations will have to comply with
regulations. It is likely that companies
will have to account for greenhouse
gas emissions and suppliers’ per-
formances. It will become unafford-
able and unwise not to embrace the
intent of the Act.” Van Dyck Carpets
plans to implement the ISO 150001
energy management system later
this year, usually undertaken only by
big global corporations, in addition
to its current ISO 9001 quality and
ISO 14001 environmental manage-
ment accreditations.
■
Environmental initiatives lower business costs
Investing in environmental programmes does not raise business costs,
it reduces them, according to Dr Mehran Zarrebini, Head of British-
based PFE International and holding company of Van Dyck Carpets.
Doors, Windows, Floors & Walls
Dr Mehran Zarrebini