OUR RESPONSIBILITY

Making the best fishing rods and blanks in the world doesn’t make any sense to us if we aren’t also doing our best to reduce our environmental impact on the rivers, oceans and ecosystems that we depend on. We consider this a fundamental aspect of being in business. We are continuously looking at ways to reduce our environmental impact; from sourcing, to production, packaging, freight and product life. Our systems are optimised to reduce resource usage, recycle where possible and source the most environmentally sustainable products. We also provide support for conservation initiatives that help conserve fish populations and habitat.

POWER

Our factory has been designed to minimise unnecessary power usage. Lighting in our factory is predominantly natural light. Additional lighting is automatically switched on and off, according to preset Lux levels – minimising power usage. Our oven is fully electric. Gas or oil is used as the predominate means for heating ovens due to the low cost – however, we power our oven via renewable electricity. We also harness waste heat from the oven to partially heat our offices. All heated tables are automatically switched on and off via timers and controlled by heat sensors, minimising electricity usage.

PACKAGING

In 2017 we redesigned our packaging system to significantly cut down on packaging materials, freight weight and space. We now digitally cut all our own shipping boxes to an exact required size – reducing the footprint of everything we ship. This unique approach reduces the need for plastic bubble wrapping or other wasteful padding materials.

RECYCLING & WATER

All our waste is split into recyclable categories, for plastics and card. Any unwanted or excess steel/aluminium is transported to a metal recycling plant. Our sanding machines use water as a coolant, which also reduces dust and maintenance. All machines are fitted with auto on/off water systems, so only when a part is being worked on, does the water flow.

MATERIALS

We are continuously looking at ways to reduce wastage of materials used in our manufacturing process. Our digital cutting machine and its advanced integrated software maps out all carbon fibre flags to maximise use of every carbon roll, minimising waste. Our proprietary paint system has been designed to not only reduce the volume of paint and solvents used, but to reduce any wastage. The system is programmed to accurately paint each rod blank in our catalogue, with precision acceleration and deceleration determined by the the rod blank’s diameter at any point along the rod. Our integrated oven system also allows us to use less solvents whilst maintaining the highest gloss levels.

CONSERVATION

As part of the International Year of the Salmon, CTS is donating $5 (NZD) from every Affinity DQ and Affinity Skagit sold, to the Wild Salmon Center to go towards salmon conservation projects across the North Pacific. Wild Salmon Center is the leading international group working to protect the strongest wild salmon rivers of the North Pacific. Since 1992, WSC has worked with its partners to place nearly 3 million acres of habitat under protected status and ensured 71 rivers and major tributaries are managed to prioritise wild fish. Wild Salmon Center is the only organisation of its kind that conserves wild Pacific salmon across their entire range: from the Pacific Northwest to Alaska to the Russian Far East. They focus on river systems that are still healthy and productive – “strongholds” for wild salmon – and proactively safeguard them before critical habitat has been degraded by mines, dams, or clear-cut timber harvests. In doing so, they’re also working to benefit the North Pacific’s salmon-dependent communities, jobs, and wildlife.