WhiteWater, a leading waterpark manufacturer, is celebrating the efforts made by its team members around the world in making the company greener. A year ago, as it marked 40 years in the industry, WhiteWater launched a series of initiatives around sustainability, promising across every area of the business to minimise carbon and waste impacts, empower its team and ensure its products are the benchmark for sustainability in the sector.
Now, one year on, the company is recognising the work that its employees have done to make these sustainability commitments come to life.
Corporate responsibility
One of the main components of WhiteWater’s sustainability commitments is its Sustainability Scorecard. With four parts, Corporate, Manufacturing and Supply Chain, Parks and Products, and Social Responsibility, this is steered by four sub-committees consisting of employees with passion and expertise in these specific areas.
In total, the Sustainability Committee is made up of 34 employees, with quite diverse backgrounds and expertise, who volunteer their time on these four sub-committees.
The committee working on the Corporate area of WhiteWater’s Sustainability Scorecard is exploring the company’s day-to-day operations, from the operation of its buildings and factories to the materials it uses and the waste it disposes of.
Parks and Products is led by Tania Bayona, sales manager for South America. She got involved because of what she was seeing in her region:
“Having seen firsthand the effects of climate change from the coasts of Mexico and Brazil to the forests of Colombia, I am extremely motivated to be part of the change. We will only live a more sustainable life when every one of us, including the government and the private sector, starts to adapt to an economy that is still profitable while having a much lower impact on the planet.”
Zero-waste goals
Meanwhile, the Manufacturing and Supply Chain team are looking at greener ways to make WhiteWater products, with a goal to become zero-waste by 2040.
Jason Hu, a junior engineer in WhiteWater’s Water Slide Engineering Team, is part of this sub-committee. Using his engineering background, he felt compelled to make a difference. He explains that “through school, we’re informed of the impacts made possible by engineering and I feel most people would jump at an opportunity to incorporate world-improving work in their daily tasks.
“That was the thought that got me to participate with the sustainability team. I have a fairly multidisciplinary background (for an engineer anyway) and sourcing ideas from that background has been useful in not only our own sustainability metrics, but also researching design, construction, and lifecycle improvements that could be employed in other industries.
“WhiteWater has been extremely supportive here, particularly where we might lead broader industry improvements. I think this speaks to the company’s sincerity in making a difference.”
Sustainable water parks
Within the Parks and Products category, the company is working directly with water parks, coming up with practical strategies that will help parks become climate neutral.
Ray Qian, a park designer and 3D Illustrator in WhiteWater’s Design Services department, says he joined the Parks and Products team because, “being a mountain hiker, loving nature, and being a friend to the environment is part of my life. As a water park designer, water is the most beautiful natural resource and can be seen in various forms on the earth.
“We play with water for fun, we also protect water for the future. I strive to apply any applicable energy-saving approaches to design a sustainable water park in terms of design mindset and deliverables to our valuable clients.”
Eliza Dawson, an engineer at FlowRider, is also on the Parks and Products sub-committee:
“I’m interested in alternative energy, so I volunteered to be on the WhiteWater Sustainability Committee for Parks and Products—that’s the part of our sustainability initiative that helps clients achieve their environmental goals.
“We want our products to use less water and less energy, so I work a lot with our pump designer to get the most bang for our buck for volume. For our clients, we know that low operating cost is essential for survival, and sustainability goes hand in hand with efficiency.”
Dawn Kirby, senior marketing manager, and another member of the Parks and Products subcommittee adds:
“It’s great to be able to contribute to a cause that I’m passionate about while doing so with such great people. I’ve been inspired by my colleagues’ ingenuity, enthusiasm, and commitment to our Sustainability Committee and I look forward to sharing what we’ve learned from each other, and outside experts, with our industry. Together, I think we can accomplish great things that have a lasting and positive impact.”
Team activities and social responsibilty
Finally, under the remit of the Social Responsibility sub-committee, the company is encouraging team members to engage in social responsibility as a way of life, with team activities like river trail maintenance, beach clean-ups, and recycling drives.
WhiteWater is also contributing 1% of its net corporate profits to non-profit partners focused on water sustainability.
Waiyan Kong, master data specialist in WhiteWater’s IT department, is on the Social Responsibility team. “Sustainability is important to me because we need to protect and preserve for our future generations,” he says. “I joined the team because I want to be part of making a difference—volunteering and learning to improve for a better environment around us.”
During the recent IAAPA Expo in Orlando, WhiteWater won a Brass Ring Award for its new ride concept, Parallel Pursuit. The company also received WWA Leading Edge Awards for its contribution to Studio City Water Park in Macau, China and Tsunami Surge at Hurricane Harbour Chicago in Illinois, as well as for Parallel Pursuit at Nocatee Spray Park in Florida.
