Martin Zwinkels, director of Greiner Bio-One, sees that customers attach increasing importance to the vision on sustainability from suppliers. Not only in terms of the products supplied, but also the impact of the company on the environment.
As regards sustainable entrepreneurship he has been active for more than ten years, which has paid off in several very practical initiatives. “Then I start by talking about intelligent LED lighting in the building and a heat pump for heating and cooling. We also made a start in 2020 and had a first batch of solar panels installed on the company's warehouse and office roof. The entire roof is now full of solar panels. But in my opinion, sustainability goes further than energy. It is also about circularity in waste processing during production. About paperless working, about comfort and about the working relationship with your employees. For example, does everyone have an ergonomic working environment? We have started working more and more flexibly through IT solutions. Exactly at the right time, because after the corona outbreak we could easily create good workplaces at home.”
Blue Plan
It 'Blue Plan', rolled out by the international organization, also provides opportunities to tackle matters more broadly. For example, the group supplies medical-related products that are largely made of plastic. After use, these materials are disposed of in closed containers and completely incinerated. “Then it is important that you use plastic that does not contain heavy metals or plasticizers,” says Martin. “We only produce pure polymers that are converted into water and carbon dioxide after combustion. Carbon dioxide emissions are tackled by the waste processors.”
Dilemmas
“We try – where possible – to reduce the amount of packaging, while on the other hand pharmaceutical companies have to take into account processes in cleanrooms, which sometimes make it necessary to triple to package. It's a dilemma, true the desire to work sustainably is sometimes held back by the customer's needs.”
Another dilemma lies in reducing pollution through the number of transport movements. Delivering as much as possible in bulk is ideal. However, in order to keep medical centers' own stock at a minimum, daily deliveries are now made through tendersenforced. A trend that actually leads to smaller packages and more traffic movements. There is no choice, because whoever resists this loses the tender. A development within government and semi-government that is diametrically opposed to the desire and task of the same government to work sustainably. “The only solution here lies in sustainable transport solutions,” said the director.
“Our transporter is currently working on a plan in which they say they can reduce their CO2 emissions by 90 percent. I am happy to contribute to that.”
Taking responsibility
The ultimate goal of Greiner Bio-One is completely energy neutral to work. And that goal is written in waterproof ink on the 2022 calendar. Martin Zwinkels firmly rejects the idea that the company will buy off its CO2 footprint with certificates. “We do not do green washing. We do not come up with any solutions other than adjustments that we can make ourselves.”
Watch the Greiner “Blue Plan – Sustainable from within” video here
Nederlands