Sustainability at Bittium in 2017

Responsibility for the Environment

Environmental Statement 2017

Bittiumīs business is mainly focused on product design, assembly by manufacturers, sales and marketing. These processes only account for a small share of the productsī lifecycle effects. The overall environmental impact of the groupīs own products is not significant.

Bittium Corporation renewed its environmental management certificate according to the ISO 14001.2015 standards in June 2016.  The group regularly monitors environmental requirements that govern its products and the local regulations derived from these. Bittium has applied the provisions laid down in the ROHS directive, the REACH regulation (on hazardous substances) and the WEEE (recycling of waste electronic and electrical equipment) directive since 2002.

In 2017, Bittium developed its ETJ+ environmental efficiency system further, and it now covers the requirements of the ISO 50001 standard on energy efficiency. Bittium has compiled energy transfer files since 2016, as required by the Finnish Energy Authority. The company is planning to upgrade its energy efficiency system according to the ISO 50001 standard in early 2018. The Bittium employees who are responsible for the energy review have been qualified by the Energy Authority.

Bittium will still develop the lifecycle assessment of its products further.

Environmental Policy

Bittium implements the ISO 14001 standard on sustainable development in the following ways, among others:

  • Monitoring and observing amendments to laws and regulations on environmental protection. This also covers the use of energy-efficient solutions in R&D (ecological design) and premises.
  • Minimizing the environmental impacts of the production, use and disposal of products. The development of instructions and practices related to ecological design supports these principles.
  • Encouraging suppliers and partners to implement environmental management programmes. Observing the principles that limit the use of hazardous substances supports these goals.

Halogen-free Statement

Bittiumīs halogen-free statement conforms to the IEC (International Electrochemical Commission) definition of halogen-free materials (IEC 61249-2-21).

In accordance with its environmental policy, Bittium is committed to minimizing the environmental impacts of the production, use and disposal of products.

Halogen is typically used as a flame-retardant in plastics. However, using products that contain halogen is problematic for the environment, because they may release dioxins and furans into the atmosphere if they are incinerated at the end of their lifecycle.

Although the use of halogens is not yet forbidden in electronics, Bittium tries to minimize the use of halogens in its products in order to meet the growing demand in the field and reduce its own environmental impact.

Environmental Management System

Bittium applies the ISO 14001 standard to its environmental management system.

Below is a description of the applicable environmental model:

 
Overview of environmental regulations in the electronics industry.

Energy Efficiency System

The Finnish Energy Efficiency Act (1429/2014) took effect on January 1, 2015. Bittium included its energy efficiency figures and transfer files concerning the year 2015 in its reports in 2016.

Compliance with Environmental Requirements and Standards

The environmental standards and regulations applicable to Bittiumīs operations are taken into account in the environmental contents list, which also covers Bittiumīs largest suppliers. The continuously updated list includes the requirements of the ROHS directive (ROHS I, II and III) and the REACH regulation, as well as the ingredient requirements applicable in the market area. Where necessary, material analyses are prepared on the basis of the requirements. The list also takes customer-specific requirements into account. The group has updated its environmental substance list regularly and applied the requirements to products and services which Bittium is either fully or partly liable for, depending on the application. These requirements are applied to business in each country of operation.

 

Bittium Offices – New Headquarters in Oulu

The new Bittium headquarters was completed at Ritaharjuntie 1 in the Oulu technology village at the end of 2017. The starting point in the design of the new premises was to centralize different functions in order to improve efficiency and maximize savings, and this is expected to show in the results from 2018.

Bittiumīs new facilities were built using the efficient multipurpose office model, which improves well-being at work. Compared to traditional office plans, multipurpose offices have higher utilization rates, and they support individual needs. In a multipurpose office, employees can choose the workstation that meets the needs of the task at hand. The new premises also satisfy high information security demands.

Spaces where process heat is generated are centralized in the floor plan, and the heat is recovered. The exterior materials and sunscreens reduce the need for cooling in the summer. Continued energy supply is secured. There are also solar panels on the roof, and approximately eight percent of the energy consumed in the building annually is produced by solar power. The buildingīs smart automation system, control functions and led lighting minimize the use of electricity. The office is cooled down using an ecological gravity-flow water cooling system. Centralized functions and carefully allocated cooling have also reduced the need for electricity.

Employee well-being was also taken into account when planning the heating and cooling system: the system uses panels that minimize the feeling of draft. The workstations are ergonomic, and advanced acoustics solutions have made the space comfortable and low-noise.

The entire building meets the requirements of the LEED Gold environmental criterias. This can be seen, for example, in the choice of materials and reduced volatile organic compound emissions. Each toilet of the building is equipped with touch-free, efficient taps.

In 2017, Bittium also renovated its office in Tampere. The office is rented, and Bittium upgraded the ventilation system and heat recovery and filtering in cooperation with the lessor. A smart building automation system, control functions and led lighting were installed in the building to minimize the use of electricity. Ergonomics, acoustics and workstation positioning were also adjusted to support the well-being and performance of employees.

In addition to the Oulu headquarters, Bittium owns an office building in Kuopio. The Kuopio property was completed in 2012. In addition to Tampere, Bittium has rented facilities in Kajaani and Espoo as well as abroad. Bittium wants to maximize employee well-being by offering pleasant and ergonomic facilities.

Level of Environmental Protection

Bittium monitors the level of its environmental protection continuously. The following figures from Bittiumīs sustainability metrics indicate the level of environmental protection:

 

 

* The amount of waste in 2017 increased due to the move of the headquarters in Oulu, and that related dispose of unused materials