All facilities seek to optimize their planning and purchasing process, and to keep their waste and environmental impact as low as possible. Though there are few facilities with the same extreme requirements as the Scott Base and its pristine surroundings at the very south end of the globe – on Antarctica.
The Scott Base mainly provides services and accommodation for research parties. SCA is a long-term partner and has supplied the base with Tork hygiene products for a decade. The selection of products and tissue is carefully compiled to help reduce waste and storage, critical when managing a site in such an isolated part of the world.
Due to the remote location, all supplies – from food and drinks to car parts and toilet tissue – are being bought and shipped in only once a year, in January, and it takes around 10 days to complete the journey by sea from the city of Christchurch to the base.
This requires detailed planning for each product, considering factors such as the number of staff, activities planned on the base and weather conditions. The Antarctic environment is also very fragile so no waste stays on the ice – it is all shipped back to New Zealand for recycling or disposal by the same boat which drops off the supplies. The base also has its own wastewater treatment plant, so all products need to be highly degradable.
The Tork hygiene solution has been evaluated and has performed in line with the requirements. This, together with strong sustainability credentials, has been the key factor for the partnership. The delicate environment of Antarctica dictates that the wider impact of man versus environment is closely considered at the base at all times.
In 2011, after ten years, the contract has yet again been renewed, and the base is upgrading to the next generation of dispensers and hygiene equipment. “Using New Zeeland-made products from a sustainable and renewable source is important to our operation of Scott Base, and SCA products fit well in this area. This had a significant impact on our decisions to continue to use SCA products”, says Michael Nottage, Procurement Officer for Scott Base.