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Another area of operations on which Lewis is particularly focused is safety . Johnsons is currently rolling out the latest generation Wheely-Safe technology across its fleet of eight-wheel tippers to improve the efficiency and health and safety of its operation . The in-motion wheel loss detection system , which combines brake and hub temperature monitoring with an intelligent tyre pressure monitoring system , is being rolled out on 25 of its Scania trucks . Mick Glenny , Transport Manager adds : “ We ’ re doing a lot of off-road work and delivering into incinerator facilities can incur hub overheating . The fact that the system monitors any abnormality in that area is a huge benefit to us . With the data the technology provides , we should be able to identify the cause of any issues too which will help us ensure similar problems don ’ t arise again . It just gives you huge peace of mind .”
Bigger and better
In terms of recent projects , Lewis shares that the business has been successful in a recent bid to take waste from Birmingham , in The Midlands . “ It ’ s a 100,000-ton-a-year project for 15 years and will help to prevent about 450,000 tons a year from going to landfill . We ’ ll recover metals and aggregates from the process , recover the value and recycle them back into the system . A product like aluminium , for example , is endlessly recyclable , so if you have a ton of aluminium today and you process it and recycle it , you ’ ll have a ton of aluminium tomorrow and the next day and the next .”
While Johnsons may be celebrating its 25th anniversary , Lewis asserts that the team won ’ t be slowing down any time soon with new projects in the pipeline to be managed . “ We will of course be celebrating . It ’ s crucial to look after your staff because without a strong team to deliver goals , there is no business . Looking to the future , over the next five years or so , I hope to be doing what we are doing now , but bigger and better . I know that ’ s a generic statement , but what I mean by bigger is processing more of the same waste and what I mean by better is doing the job that we ’ re doing now , but more efficiently . We ’ re also on year three of our carbon reduction plan , and our emissions are reducing massively year-on-year . So , we ’ re heading in the right direction .
“ The industry is becoming more aware of its presence and what it can do collectively . If every project had a carbon score and an associated tax , I think that would drive the behaviour of everyone in the market to become greener . As an industry , we need to invest in the best technology to do the job as efficiently as possible . There is a lot of good happening in the sector currently ,” he concludes , “ and it ’ s important for the industry to balance profitability with environmental impact to ensure a sustainable sector moving forward .” ■
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