In customer use, Vaisala’s weather observation and environmental measurement products contribute favorably to the environment in many ways. Diverse phenomena caused by changes in the global climate are being closely studied and measured. Vaisala’s worldwide weather observation systems support this work. The minimization of the detrimental environmental effects caused by exceptional weather conditions such as hurricanes and tsunamis makes the measurement of weather parameters all the more important. By measuring the water level and its movement we can minimize flood damage.
Vaisala instruments for industry are used to improve product quality and production process efficiency, reduce energy consumption and promote safety and workplace wellbeing. In many manufacturing processes, it is of the utmost importance to accurately measure and control humidity, so that product quality can be kept high and energy consumption low. Energy consumption in buildings can be forecast and cut down by measuring outdoor temperature and other weather data. In energy production, Vaisala equipment is used in e.g. wind parks, where they help to produce power output forecasts.
Vaisala is a globally operating company that follows international standards and regulations in all its operations. Vaisala’s environmental management system is SFS-EN ISO 14001 certified. It covers all of Vaisala’s offices, operations and products. Vaisala's environmental management program includes the maintenance of the certified system, taking into account the EU WEEE (directive on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) and RoHS (Restriction of the use of certain Hazardous Substances in electrical and electronic equipment) directives in product design and manufacturing, integrating environment-friendly product design into the production processes, as well as continuous improvement of the waste management. The waste management practices have been developed to the highest standards in all Vaisala locations. Of all waste, the ratio of recycled waste to mixed waste is 0.60.
Environmental aspects form an important part of product requirements. In addition to laws and regulations, special attention is paid to materials, waste, product energy consumption throughout its lifecycle, reduction of substances hazardous to the environment and health, product service life, and recycling.
The goal is to minimize new products' effects on the environment throughout their lifecycle. This goal has also been integrated into product design process instructions and internal training. Special attention is paid to the reduction of hazardous substances as defined by the RoHS directive.
The RoHS Directive on the Restriction of the use of certain Hazardous Substances in electrical and electronic equipment became effective in July. All new products are devaloped to meet the RoHS requirements, although the directive does not at present apply to Vaisala products, which belong to directive category nine (monitoring and control instruments). Similar legislation is also under development outside the EU, for example in China.
