The power of the ocean

At APL, we understand the power of the ocean, and what it means to our fellow New Zealanders. We play in it. We eat from it. We live by it. It connects us all.

Protect and restore

APL’s founders, the Plaw family and many of our people have long had an affinity with the ocean, spending plenty of time in, on and around it over the years. Through this first-hand experience they have recognised the need to protect our country’s seabed and precious ocean resources from further degradation and environmental threats – many of which we can’t even see. Kina barrens, climate change, over-fishing and pollution are destroying large parts of our ocean’s ecosystem.

Live Ocean Foundation partnership

That is why APL have partnered with Live Ocean Foundation, to study the effects of these threats and to get behind the important work they support to restore and protect life in our ocean – through science, outreach and innovation. This commitment to restore the health of our natural environments also lines up nicely with APL’s ‘Responsibility Roadmap’ commitment to regenerate living systems.

Project Kahurangi

Two projects that APL are currently focusing on with Live Ocean Foundation are Project Kahurangi and Seascape. Project Kahurangi is New Zealand’s first non-profit marine conservation image library. Phase one of the project has launched with over 800 local, ocean-focused images and videos from northern New Zealand, all for use royalty-free by registered New Zealand conservation charities.

Seascape

Seascape is a photogrammetry innovation being pioneered by New Zealand Geographic, creating maps and 3D models of the seafloor, similar to Google Street view for the ocean. This technology will be a valuable scientific tool as well as helping to draw public attention to the state of the ocean below the surface.

Giving back to Kiwis

“Supporting Live Ocean Foundation is a way of us giving back to Kiwis, many of whom support us in business” says Mikayla Plaw, Executive Director, Sustainability for Profile Group (parent company for APL). “We really wanted to get behind the crucial work Live Ocean are doing – for the greater good, for the people of New Zealand and for future generations.”

More stories

Soft plastic recycling

Continuing our journey to circularity through our partnership with PACT Recycling, the largest recycler of post-industrial plastic in the Southern Hemisphere.

An aligned future with Toitū

Independent assessments and accreditations are crucial and that’s why we’re working closely with Toitū Envirocare, one of the country’s leading carbon certification organisations.

Working towards a circular economy

They say you can’t manage what you don’t measure, and that’s why a partnership was established with environmental consultancy Circularity to explore the impacts of all their waste streams.

The waste process

While APL is working hard to build a more circular business, not every material is able to be repurposed. That’s why we’re working closely with Enviro NZ, a materials management and resource recovery company.

Diversion from landfill

By collecting food scraps, we're helping power local homes and protect the environment.

The importance of ThermalHEART®

While reducing the environmental impact of construction is a major focus of the building industry, another big focus is on reducing the amount of energy that’s required to run those buildings when they’re completed.

Environmental Product Declaration

Three of APL’s window and door ranges have been the subject of an independent environmental and life cycle assessment by external consultants.

Biodiversity Initiative a New Zealand First

Profile Group, parent company to APL Window Solutions, has become the first participant in a new biodiversity market, purchasing biodiversity units from Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari, in the South Waikato.

Going Electricity-Neutral

The parent company to APL Window Solutions, Profile Group, has acquired renewable energy certificates from Kawatiri Energy.

Homes of the future

A major sustainability project by Kāinga Ora, the government’s public housing agency, will use a new, thermally efficient product range from APL Window Solutions.

Closing the loop on waste

We’ve introduced a series of day-to-day sustainability initiatives aimed at circulating high value materials, innovating new solutions and designing out waste and emissions across the business.

Hautapu ~ Our Green building

We planned carefully to make our large, new manufacturing facility at Hautapu an example of ‘best practice’ sustainable design and construction.

Upgrading for the environment

In 2016 APL upgraded it's powdercoating lines to achieve an environmentally-friendly standard.

Leading the way

At APL, we are well on the way to reinventing the way we do business.

The power of the ocean