Sustainability at Vision

Here at Vision, we continually work to improve our joint environmental and social sustainability. Locally owned and operated since we opened over 25 years ago, our roots in Otago and Southland are strong, so we approach all aspects of sustainability with a local focus.

Environmental sustainability

We couldn't do what we do without the great product brands we stock and install for our clients. We choose to partner with high quality brands to offer products with a longer lifetime, resulting in fewer replacements, and therefore less waste. For the waste that does occur on a regular basis, we have put recycling processes in place.

Glen Jones, our Stock Logistics Coordinator, says:

"What we are trying to achieve is to minimise waste and recycle wherever we can. This is our current recycling set up:

• We have a cardboard cage skip for (obviously) ONLY cardboard.
• We have a metal recycling skip for all our buggered dishes, stays, and surplus metals.
• E-waste is collected in one location, for all electronics so we can get these disposed of ethically and correctly.
• We have a separate paper recycling bin which, not surprisingly, is for paper
• We also have a carton for plastics (washed) that are accepted by our council for recycling, #’s 1,2 and 5.
• There's a carton for washed tins, beer cans etc (all cleaned)
• There's also a carton for all glass bottles/ Jars etc (again all cleaned)
• All cable ends and off cuts, as well as cables removed from jobs etc (including damaged hdmi, rca… anything like that) are collected separately as these can all be recycled.
• All finished cable rolls are collected, separated and the components recycled separately where possible.
• Recently added to our recycling is clean soft plastic.
• We are in the process of getting recycling of polystyrenes, batteries etc sorted. We'll jump on board with recycling these materials as soon as commercial quantities are accepted.
• Lastly we have a general waste skip for anything we cannot recycle, but going forward, this should be needed less and less as we all do our part to do the right thing."

More ways in which we incorporate environmental sustainability in our day-to-day dealings:

• We remove our materials from each job site, from your new tv's cardboard box to uninstalled entertainment systems.
• We recycle extensively at the Vision store in Dunedin, from paper and cardboard to glass, plastics and metals.
• For metal recycling, we work with Otago Metals.
• We have worked hard to go paperless in the office, and are almost there

Social sustainability

From upskilling our own team to networking, and supporting social enterprises and non-profits: we continually improve what we do, internally and externally.

• Double the impact: we recycle a range of E Waste with Cargill Enterprises, the trading arm of the Disabled Citizens Society. Based in South Dunedin, Cargill Enterprises employ over 80 people with some level of intellectual disability.
• Our health and safety standards are certified with the SiteWise Green Status.
• We run staff trainings on an ongoing basis.
• Joining forces with other local businesses to keep Dunedin thriving and growing, we are a member of a local BNI group.

Community Engagement

Otago Polytechnic Charity House

Once a year, Otago Polytechnic carpentry students build a house which then gets auctioned off, with proceeds going to charity. In November of 2021, the successful bidders bought the charity house for the record breaking price of $365,000, about $115,000 of which was donated to the Catalytic Foundation to be redistributed. The team at Vision provided and installed a state of the art home theatre system. Read more details in our news article about the 2021 Charity House project.

Supporting the Cancer Society's Daffodil House

Daffodil House Dunedin has been run by the Cancer Society for 30 years, offering accommodation to cancer patients from out of town, and their partners. The team at Vision have supported Daffodil House since 2012 by providing for free all audio visual work, including the installation of new TV sets, revamping the distribution systems, and any repairs required.