BMW not only makes great cars; they now also help us make great owl boxes too!
BMW’s Environmental Manager at their Rosslyn plant, Annelize Kruger, together with BMW Waste Manager, Chris Barnard, have kindly agreed to donate used pallet wood to the Owl box Project on an a monthly basis, which will be used to make owl boxes for the OBP in Gauteng and the North West. We have already taken delivery of our first consignment of pallet wood which has been made into owl boxes and pens for owl releases. This wood is of superior quality to ‘normal’ pallet wood and comes from the pallets which are used to transport  vehicle components to South Africa from Germany, and BMW’s donation of this wood is just another example of the many ways BMW is committed to doing its part for the Owl Box Project.

The environmental team at BMW Rosslyn is responsible for developing systems for the identification and evaluation of all environmental risks related to all business activities of BMW South Africa  with regards to water, waste, chemicals, energy and operational management.

Worldwide, the automotive Original Equipment Manufactures are seen as a key contributor to environmental degradation, but BMW is making sure that they address waste management in creative and environmentally sound ways. A target was implemented by BMW South Africa in 2005 to conduct monthly audits on the adherence to waste segregation. This target aims to improve adherence and maximise waste for re-use and recycling while minimising waste for disposal to landfill.
The management of resource utilisation is an integral part of environmental conservation, especially in the industrial sector where resources such as water and energy are consumed in large quantities. Waste minimisation is essential to the preservation of a healthy environment: there are a limited number of landfill sites which can be used; incinerators are also not necessarily a viable option as their capacity to burn everything is limited and many waste products when incinerated could lead to air-borne pollutants which create new problems. The recycling of pallet wood is just one example of the innovative ways in which BMW is addressing their waste resource management and we are grateful to BMW for their support of the aims and objectives of the Owl Box Project.