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.
Less is more – at least this would appear to be the case when it comes to coffee. The number of people turning to single-serve coffee makers is increasing all the time. 12,300 aluminium coffee pods are used every minute by households and firms across the globe. A number that is steadily rising. Coffee capsules, however, are not only on the rise because they are so popular among consumers. They are actually more sustainable than other coffee making systems. Especially as the whole of the pod can be recycled. Aluminium, the material that makes up most of the pod, is particularly suitable for being returned to production cycles and has an excellent climate footprint. More than enough reason, therefore, for REMONDIS to promote the systematic recovery of coffee pods – by establishing a dedicated collection and recycling concept. As a result, we have developed a plant able to fully recycle aluminium coffee pods with the financial support of the coffee producer Nespresso. This scheme is being implemented across the whole of the Benelux region – i.e. in Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg.
Coffee pods like these are made up mostly of aluminium. This makes them perfect for recycling. Provided there is a scheme in place that enables them to be collected separately.
Aluminium is a so-called non-ferrous metal. Virgin aluminium is produced from minerals using bauxite. This natural raw material is rare and extracting it from the ground causes considerable damage to the environment. What’s more, producing aluminium from bauxite is a highly energy-intensive process. The situation is very different when this light metal is produced from recycled material. 20 times less energy is required here. This, in turn, means far fewer climate-damaging carbon emissions. Add to the equation the fact that aluminium can, in principle, be recycled again and again with no loss in material then it quickly becomes clear why REMONDIS believes it is so important to recycle aluminium. It is simply a textbook example of sustainability in practice.
The same is true for aluminium pods as it is for all other types of waste: the recycling process begins with the materials being collected separately. A comprehensive collection scheme was put in place to make it possible for the pods to be recovered and we are responsible for all the logistics here. Consumers can drop off their old capsules at the Nespresso boutiques or at bespoke collection points. Or they can send them to the company using a parcel service.
The actual recycling of the pods is carried out at a plant in the Netherlands – close to the German-Dutch border – that was developed specifically for this purpose. The first step here is to remove the plastic lid and coffee residue from the aluminium pods so that they can be cleaned. Once this has been done, the material is compacted or melted down and then sent straight to aluminium-processing businesses. As a valuable recycled raw material for making new products.
And what happens to the coffee residue that was removed? We recycle this as well, of course. In three different ways in fact. To be able to do this, we operate a digester and downstream composting facility. By using this technology, we are able to implement a cascade system and transform the spent coffee grounds into biogas, compost and CO2 fertiliser.
Ambitious goals: with our help, Nespresso has the capacity to recycle all of its coffee pods in the Benelux countries.
Nespresso pods can also be dropped off at the company’s stores in Germany so that they can be sent for recycling. The majority of the coffee pods here, however, take a different route that is less beneficial as far as recycling is concerned. They end up in the recycling bin – or the yellow bin as it is still known in some regions – a collection scheme that, in this form, is only found in Germany and is primarily used to collect sales packaging made of plastic and metal. Which means aluminium coffee pods – and consequently Nespresso pods – belong in this bin, too. As they are not collected separately, they must first be segregated from the other types of recyclable materials before they can be sent to an aluminium recycling facility. A circuitous process, therefore, that really needs to be improved if sustainability is to be promoted. Ultimately, each additional step that has to be taken creates an additional hurdle for Nespresso as it tries to reach its goal of recycling 100% of its coffee pods.
Handing in Nespresso pods to the producer rather than putting them in the recycling bin – the more direct way to have them recycled.
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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