Coates launches Greener Choice range

10 June 2022

Australian company Coates has released its Greener Choices range that offers tangible opportunities to reduce emissions, improve efficiencies and commit to best-practice environmental sustainability standards.

With governments and organisations across the world pledging to achieve net-zero emissions and accelerate action on climate change, Coates has launched its Greener Choices range of sustainable equipment and solutions.

The range was unveiled to coincide with World Environment Day on 5 June, 2022, and it features battery, electric, hybrid, solar and low-emission engines (USA Tier 4 Final / EU Stage 4 & 5) and biofuel equipment across categories including access, materials handling, lighting, site accommodation, general hire tools, traffic management and solutions.

Coates CEO Murray Vitlich says the Greener Choices range was introduced in response to the needs of customers who are increasingly looking for ways to support the sustainability objectives of their projects and organisations.

“As Australia’s leading equipment and solutions provider, we are focused on providing more sustainable equipment and solutions that support our customers’ sustainability goals and help guide our suppliers in making greener choices in product design and manufacture,” he says.

“Coates’ Greener Choices range offers customers tangible opportunities to reduce emissions, improve efficiencies and commit to best-practice environmental sustainability standards.

“We are committed to further developing this range, and we recognise the criteria for inclusion will continue to evolve as the industry advances and new technologies emerge.”

Eco-friendly equipment options

Coates’ Greener Choices range includes over 2000 solar products and more than half of the company’s extensive fleet of access equipment. More sustainable tools and equipment include:

• Electric and hybrid boom and scissor lifts.
• Solar-powered, hybrid and portable LED lighting.
• Electric, lithium-ion battery powered forklifts and warehousing equipment.
• Stage 5 low diesel particulate emission engine forklifts and telehandlers.
• Battery powered hand-tools.
• Blended biodiesel (up to B7) for all diesel engine plant and equipment.

In addition, Coates is set to launch the revolutionary Quadshore™ 150 – the world’s lightest heavy-duty structural propping system – later this year. Developed in conjunction with Monash University, the modular system uses high-strength steel elements and patented boltless connections that negate the need for consumables.

Because Quadshore™ is made with high-grade steel, it requires fewer materials in its manufacture and reduced energy for transportation compared to conventional propping systems that are typically made from low-grade steel.

Commitment to sustainability

The Greener Choices range from Coates is a key pillar of the company’s Sustainability Strategy that was unveiled in 2021, which outlines a commitment to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040.

The Sustainability Strategy is underpinned by the circular-economy concept based on the principles of designing out waste and pollution, keeping products and materials in use, and regenerating natural systems. This approach aims for business growth as well as positive, society-wide benefits, driven by a transition to renewable energy sources.

“At Coates, our vision is to be the market leader in safe, smart and sustainable equipment solutions,” says Vitlich.

“We understand the leadership role we have in promoting circular-economy thinking because of the inherently circular nature of our equipment hire and business solutions model.

“Working with our supply chain, we continue to look to apply the principles of the circular economy to reduce waste and pollution in the procurement, design and operation of our equipment; keep products and materials in use; and, ultimately, regenerate natural systems.”

Working across three phases – design and manufacture, use and end of life – Coates’ circular systems plans will guide the company in pursuing sustainability outcomes across its equipment portfolio at each stage of development and use.

One such initiative is to recycle ArmorZone plastic barriers. The program has initially seen 4000 barriers sent for recycling in the 2021-2022 financial year. The barriers are processed into granules and refined in Australia before being sold back to the original plastic manufacturer in New Zealand to create new products, including new traffic barriers.

With more than 70,000 traffic barriers in Coates’ nationwide fleet, there are plans to expand the recycling scheme to the company’s operations in Western Australia and Queensland.

Coates is also investigating how it can recycle plastic components of other equipment.

“To have real impact on the world, we need to not only change the way we think and act, but also enable and inspire others to act,” says Vitlich.

“There are challenges ahead, but by working together with our customers and supply chain, we can turn shared vision into meaningful action.”