Consciously working with the environment and surroundings

OVET has different roles in relation to its surroundings and therefore takes these into account. When you look for the word “environment” in a dictionary, you will find the following: “The surroundings in which somebody is found”. Then what is “environmental awareness”? Environmental awareness is being aware of the worth of a good quality living environment and of the dangers that threaten this.
OVET knows its processes and the effects on the environment. OVET does not only have to fulfil the role of employer, but certainly as neighbour for the local residents and nearby businesses too. OVET is therefore proud to have a delegation of local residents as Klankbordgroep (Feedback group) in Terneuzen. This Feedback group meets about two times a year and with good consultation various topics, which are important to Ovet as well as the other members, are being covered. During this consultation, we can provide explanations about our efforts in the environmental field. Dust prevention receives a lot of attention. OVET wants to keep improving and optimising in order to reduce dust nuisance. In addition to the spraying of the stored products, OVET has been using cellulose, a kind of paper pulp, for quite some time. We can spray this on the loads with a powerful spray car. The cellulose will form a crust on the product, which makes weather and wind have a reduced grip on our storage.

Together with businesses in the area, regular meetings are held in the BIOK (which stands for Belangenvereniging Industrie Oostelijke Kanaalhavens, or Association Industry Eastern Channel ports).

Another way of environmental awareness is that OVET likes to put energy into saving energy. An example of this are the installed ultracaps on board of crane 10.  An ingenious system allows the crane to generate and reuse energy, by temporarily ‘storing’ it. This happens in the so-called ultracaps, which have a much larger capacity than the batteries normally used. Because of this new technique less soot emission takes place, which contributes to a better living environment. More about energy saving, among others, can be read in our annual environmental report.

Attention for our surroundings

OVET is also one of the businesses in the ports of Terneuzen and Vlissingen. We play our part when it comes to activities of the ZPPC. The ZPPC (Zeeland Port Promotion Council) is a non-profit organisation with representatives of port businesses, with the main goal of promoting the Zeeland ports nationally and internationally.
Paying attention to our surroundings includes attention for social-cultural matters, but certainly for education and leisure too.

• Social activities: OVET sponsors various activities in its settled towns;
  
  
• Cultural activities: OVET is one of the sponsors of for example Filmfestival Zeeuws-Vlaanderen;
  
  
• Sports activities: OVET supports various sport clubs and sporting events;

• Collaboration with schools: OVET is a business with a lot of knowledge and experience in many areas. OVET wants to secure this knowledge and experience for the future. Therefore students of different disciplines are very welcome for an internship, work experience, final thesis etcetera;

• The crews of the vessels which are docked at our quays, the possibility exists to visit the Varenscentrum (Boating centre)  in Terneuzen (Stichting Varenscentrum Kanaalzone Zeeuws Vlaanderen) or the Mission to Seamen / Seafarers in Vlissingen-Oost.