Fiji Industries Limited (FIL) is committed to environment protection and has embarked on a restructuring initiative to reflect this.

The company, which is a subsidiary of the Fijian Holdings Group of Companies, says it is restructuring and aligning its environment management efforts and initiatives to allow its clinker grinding operations to be certified to ISO 14001 standards by the end of the year 2008.

FIL is the only cement producer and maker of cement relation product in the country, and has been in operation for over 48 years.

ISO 14001 is an internationally accepted standard that sets out how an organisation puts in place an effective Environment Management System(EMS).

“This move is aligned to the company’s ongoing commitment to sustainable development through its environment management programme,” FIL says.

“Over the last decade FIL has made significant progress in managing and reducing its environment imprints. This include better management of effluents discharged from its operations, installation of dust suppressors and the ceasing of its dredging of coral sands from leased sites within the Laucala Bay waters,” the company adds.

FIL has discontinued its kiln process thus resulting in the elimination of carbon dioxide emissions from its operations.

FIL’s clinker manufacturing process ended in 2004 and now replaced with periodic procuring and importation of clinker from overseas suppliers.

“The company continues to implement strategies for water and resource conservation, energy consumption, use of environmentally safe raw materials, waste minimisation, pollution reduction and the protection of its surrounding environment,” FIL says.