In today’s world of environmental concerns and global inequalities, recycling and reusing unused materials – or finding new ways of adding value to raw materials – is one way of reducing waste and increasing sustainability. This value addition is part of our core business: by producing collagen and gelatin solutions for the health and nutrition, food, pharma and biomedical markets, we take our part in ensuring the full use of animal materials intended for human consumption. We add to this efficient, sustainable way of working by making sure our production processes generate little to no waste. A recent example is the sludge-to-fertilizer project at our Isle-sur-la-Sorgue plant in France, where we convert our own by-products into a rich fertilizer that benefits local agriculture.
A unique approach to recycling
We also apply this mindset to our IT equipment, looking for ways to make sure our old devices are repurposed, rather than just thrown away. Our Rousselot Ghent team recently chose to do this in a special way indeed. At the end of April, our colleagues in Ghent teamed up with Belgian non-governmental organization (ngo) Digital for Youth to offer our used computers to young Ukrainian refugees in Belgium. With the refurbished IT equipment, young people going through the hardships of war and displacement can communicate with loved ones, integrate in the community, and access education courses.
‘We felt we had to help in any way we could’
Dirk van Gaver, Plant Manager at Rousselot Ghent, explains why he and his colleagues chose to donate to this project. ‘With updates from the Ukraine invasion often shown on television, we heard the call to help young refugees by donating all kinds of material, including electronic devices,’ he says. ‘We are all touched by what is happening in Ukraine, especially to innocent children, many of whom are being forced to leave their home country because of a horrible war. We felt we had to help them in any way we could. This led Jo Boens, IT Manager at Ghent, to propose this project.’
Professionally wiped and refurbished
By giving our IT equipment to CTG Circular, our professional refurbishment partner with ISO 27001 and 9001 certifications, all of our business data can be wiped from the computers, while the equipment is fully refurbished.
‘Following this’, Dirk van Gaver continues, ‘we will get a certificate that confirms the removal of all business data from the machines, and then we will get information on its new destination.’
Contributing to a fairer, greener, and better world
The project with Digital for Youth ties in with our broader efforts to contribute to the United Nations’ 12th Sustainable Development Goal of ‘Responsible consumption and production’. We hope it’s one more way of encouraging a circular economy, with ways of working and living that are better for the world and the people living in it.