Case Study: Smart Interceptor Alarms help Antalis to Save Money and Reduce Their Carbon Footprint

Antalis is Europe's leading distributor of paper, packaging solutions and visual communication products. They are always looking at ways to improve their environmental pollution control, reduce the waste removed from their sites and to reduce their overall carbon footprint.

Antalis have always ensured clean and well-maintained sites, which involves the annual cleaning of road drains and oil interceptors/separators, with all relevant waste controls and documentation being in place for environmental accountability.

County Drains Leicester Ltd has been carrying out these planned cleans on two separate sites for several years. As County Drains also has ISO 9001:2015 and ISO14001:2015 certifications, they also proactively use their knowledge and experience to assist in the improvement of Antalis’s environmental policies. 

Durable Drainage Labels

We started initially by supplying and fixing self-adhesive drain labels to all utility hole covers on-site. Each label is coloured, identifying the drain type and has an arrow showing which way the drain flows. These weather-proof and durable labels identify drains for staff and contractors on-site, and their durable nature means they save time and money by not having to be repainted every couple of years, as is the case with traditional labels.

Smart Oil Interceptor Alarms

This year, County Drains Leicester Ltd developed their own cloud-based smart monitoring system for monitoring oil separators and pumping stations. The system used at Antalis monitors for high oil levels within an oil separator and sends alert messages to a cloud-based portal, which is accessed at Antalis via a standard web browser.  

The oil separator smart monitoring systems have been installed at two separate sites. They monitor oil level 24/7, sending monthly status checks, as well as storing notes and documentation for environmental traceability purposes.

Preventing Environmental Pollution

By installing these units, the company is now being more proactive – they can deal with any potential pollution issues immediately. Before these systems were installed, the oil separators often went unmonitored. With the new smart monitoring system, Antalis becomes aware of any possible environmental incident before a breach, preventing pollution incidents occurring as well as saving them the cost of emergency call-outs and clean-up and Environmental Agency fines. 

Saving Time and Money

An additional benefit of having smart monitors installed is that Antalis’ oil interceptors no longer require annual emptying as a matter of course, as the system tells you when emptying is required. This has reduced their annual service charge by £500-£750 per year, as well as saving 2-3 tonnes of water from being removed from the site and disposed of. It has also eliminated the requirement for a diesel vacuum tanker driving on-site for 4-6 hours to complete the clean.

The new smart monitoring systems not only do a better job of monitoring potential environmental problems, but they are saving Antalis money and preventing unnecessary pollution.

We asked Terry Hill, our client at Antalis, for his opinion:

“Our initial problem was having an interceptor where I did not know how full it was. This required a decision to be made on how frequently to have it emptied. This then added in costs that perhaps need not be spent. Should there have been a spillage of any description, this lack of knowledge could have led to an environmental issue.

Using County Drains has been good for both parties. We have been working in partnership for several years now, so we both know how each other works and each other’s aspirations. In the early days, I asked for this type of monitoring system, which County Drains went and researched. At that time, the technology was new, and systems were developing rapidly. County Drains took the time to sift through all the options and then propose to me what they felt to be the best fit for Antalis’ needs.

The most significant benefit of the service provided by County Drains was that we’ve been able to work in partnership to achieve the desired system and processes. It’s worked well for both parties.”

If you need a proactive partner to help you manage your environmental drainage problems, give us a call on 01530 510571.

Pollution and Environmental Control

18 Nov 2019

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