Nordic Sea Safe's contribution to a more sustainable maritime industry
When we look at ways of transportation, shipping is the least environmentally damaging. Since 90% of global trade is done by ship, the Maritime Industry is overall a minor contributor to marine pollution. But that doesn’t mean the maritime industry doesn’t thrive to become more sustainable. As a transparent company, dedicated to environmental safety and health, we would like to share with you what Sustainability means to us.
The maritime industry is continuously making significant progress in reducing our environmental impact on the planet. In order to do so, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) developed the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution (or MARPOL). But, besides preventing pollution from ships, there’s more we can do!
Replacing PVC with our modified PET
Why is PVC bad for the environment? As PVC (or polyvinyl chloride) is a synthetic material, it can leach out toxins, additives, and other harmful chemicals. This can cause health problems. In fact, Health Child Healthy world claims that PVC is one of the most toxic plastics out there. Reason enough for us to find an even better alternative.
With the environment in mind, Nordic Sea Safe managed to create a modified PET that is fully recyclable to replace the widely used PVC. PET, or polyethylene terephthalate, is the most common thermoplastic polymer resin of the polyester family (you may know the term PET from bottle recycling). Pet-X has a longer durability than your average PVC and is flame retardant. It is a high quality, environmental friendly material that is completely recyclable.
In addition our PET-X safety signs have the luxurious appearance of the much more expensive polycarbonate and/or acrylic, but at the cost of a regular PVC sign. The materials used (photoluminescent) are DNV certified with a 5-year guarantee against discolouring.
Sustainability through innovation
Besides replacing PVC with PET-X, we also managed to innovate our printing process in such a way that the expected life is up to 5 times longer than the market average. Safe Sign photoluminescent signs, for example, store the energy from light sources and release light energy in the dark. This 100% environmentally friendly material exceeds all required afterglow properties.
PolyesPro® pipe marking
Pipe marking is essential to communicate the contents of pipes. These markings/labels are important because they give detailed information about what runs through the pipes, but also give information about extreme temperatures or pressure.
PolyesPro® is the highest quality pipe marking product available on the market. The base material that the image is printed on has a halogen-free adhesive backing that makes it suitable for applying to stainless steel piping. The protective properties of the polyester laminate, such as resistance to UV and numerous chemicals, guarantee a long service life. PolyesPro® marking does not contain PVC.
Environmental, Health and Safety policies
NSS as a company is dedicated to environmental safety and health, at all levels of its operations, from manufacturing to installation. Because of this, we have our own Environmental, Health and Safety policies. These are part of the NSS company policy and reflect our principles of running a sustainable business:
- Creating a safe working environment for all employees and stakeholders
- Minimizing the carbon footprint
- Integrating EHS elements into T-ISS Research & Development strategies for all company products and systems
- Continuous measurement, monitoring and improvement of EHS performance
More information
If you would like to receive more information about Nordic Sea Safe’s vision when it comes to environment or sustainability, or want to know more about our Safety Signs and products, please contact us!
