Die REMONDIS-Welt der Nachhaltigkeit
REMONDIS' World of Sustainability
De REMONDIS-wereld van de duurzaamheid
The whole notion of sustainability will be a lost cause unless we take action here and now to conserve our planet's natural resources. Future generations and today's developing countries will only be able to enjoy prosperous lives if steps are taken right now to counteract the growing shortages of raw materials. For us – being one of the world's leading recycling, service and water companies – there can be only one goal: to tackle this problem and lead by example. Why not join us on this path?!
Everyone agrees that global warming must be limited to 2°C – or preferably 1.5°C – if we wish to prevent our ecosystem from being irreparably damaged. Large areas of woodland in Germany are dying as the country suffers ever longer periods of drought. Pussyfooting around is not going to stop climate change. Some major action needs to be taken. And not just switching from fossil fuels to renewables but from virgin to recycled raw materials as well. We are showing how this can be done.
The Lippe Plant in Lünen is not only a high tech site, it is also an important project for combatting global warming. The various activities carried out at the site help to cut carbon emissions by 488,000t every single year. For a forest to have the same effect, it would need to contain 37 million trees. Certainly a lovely place to take a walk in but perhaps not an ideal place for creating 1,400 jobs.
People searching for an argument in favour of plastics recycling need look no further than at our seas and oceans. Vast areas of waste are floating around in them and are so big that they can even be seen from space. This problem, however, can only be solved on Earth – with more responsible consumer behaviour and systematic plastics recycling.
Talking the talk but not walking the walk? Not at REMONDIS. It goes without saying that our all-encompassing view of sustainability also includes us being sustainable ourselves. This covers all aspects of our business – from the energy efficiency levels of our head office buildings, all the way through to ensuring that all our locations adhere to our high social standards, no matter where in the world they may be.
Every company tries to make a profit. And things are no different at REMONDIS either. For us, however, money is always a means to a good end – which is why a large part of the profits we make is invested in developing new and innovative recycling processes and technologies. Helping to preserve our planet’s valuable natural resources.
Sustainability is not a state or a condition but an ongoing process. First and foremost, sustainability is team work. Which is why we cooperate closely with experts and research institutes that also feel strongly about conserving our planet’s natural resources and preventing climate change. Such work always leads to new approaches and innovations.
Wherever we see an opportunity to drive forward the notion of sustainability and to fix it even more firmly in the minds of people, then we are there, full of passion and enthusiasm for the cause. This covers a whole range of activities – from educational projects, to acting as advisers, to supporting universities.
Everyone is talking about the scarcity of raw materials and about sustainability. But what exactly is behind it all? We decided to do some research to find out what it’s all about – so that we could put together some pages with the most important background information for you to read.
Just imagine that every product we use is made up only of materials that can be fully recycled without any loss whatsoever. A pipe dream? Not if we all base our operations on the Cradle to Cradle® design concept, developed by the chemist and visionary Prof. Braungart. Cradle to Cradle® (C2C) describes a principle whereby all the components of a product can be processed and/or recycled without any loss in quality. This model is based on nature where everything is a nutrient and waste simply does not exist. Cradle to Cradle® differentiates between two separate cycles:
Cradle to Cradle® is both a strategy and a vision. To a certain extent it also deliberately takes a look into the future – beyond what is possible today.
Compared to normal recycling methods, the greatest advantage of Cradle to Cradle® is that there are no downcycling effects whatsoever, i.e. the inherent value of the material is not reduced at all. By implication this also means, however, that the Cradle to Cradle® concept must begin at the product design stage. Only products that are made up of fully recyclable and non-toxic materials can be dismantled and treated in line with the C2C concept. Cradle to Cradle®, therefore, is not simply a processing or treatment system but also a strategic approach to foster innovations in companies.
Cradle to Cradle® is being developed and implemented by the EPEA Institute in collaboration with companies. The institute also advises REMONDIS. The objective of our cooperation work is to enable us to optimise both our in-house processes and technologies as well as our services so that they reflect a holistic approach to recycling. The first step, for example, was to have the quality of our food waste recycling systems evaluated. And the results were truly impressive. EPEA’s study (completed in 2016) came to the conclusion that over 98% of the material processed by our organic waste recycling systems was being re-used to make top quality products. According to the EPEA, our system was making “a valuable contribution towards achieving an integral C2C resource economy”. The EPEA, however, not only helps companies with their actual recycling operations but in a whole host of other areas, as well. The greatest strength – and the greatest challenge – of Cradle to Cradle® is seeing the “whole picture” and thinking and acting in a way that takes all aspects and all business contexts into account. The ideal image at the end of this process is one where all protagonists are linked together – from the manufacturer, to the shops and consumers, all the way through to the recycling sector. We are more than prepared to do our part – for example by working on further developing processes so that an ever greater number of materials can be recovered and separated according to type.
According to the Cradle to Cradle® design concept, products – such as the MIRRA 2 office chair designed by Studio 7.5 – can be dismantled completely into their individual parts which can then be assigned either to the biological or the technical cycle
By using the C2C design, companies are given the additional option of choosing not to sell their products but simply to make them available for use. Once they have been used, the materials can be returned to the producers where they can be recovered. This ensures that the materials remain in their cycle. Taking a look at the economy as a whole, then other concepts become possible – and indeed necessary – for example where a number of different companies pool together and share their materials. This is another area where we at REMONDIS can play a role. In this scenario, recycling companies would be charged with the task of organising material streams in an efficient and system-driven way so that the “pool” principle can actually work. Various ministries in Germany – at both federal and state level – have now also recognised the need for such circular systems, something that can be seen by the number of studies and analyses they have initiated. This subject is, therefore, becoming ever more important both socially and politically. It is essential, however, that politicians ensure the right framework conditions are set up so that such circular systems can be created in the first place.
The report analysing the potential of circular systems commissioned by the Ministry for Economic Affairs for the German state of NRW (German only)
Cradle to Cradle® follows a set of principles that encompasses economic, ecological and social aspects in equal measure. Companies that work together with EPEA can receive advice from them and, if they wish, have their system – i.e. their processes and the way they use materials – evaluated. An ever growing number of firms are making the most of these offers to ensure their production systems promote sustainability and to have this fact certified.
Being one of the world’s leading recycling, service and water businesses with over 30,000 employees, everything we do revolves around sustainability. We ensure that the environment is protected and that natural resources are conserved in over 30 countries across four continents.
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