Our vision
We’re well aware that we live in a world where raw materials are scarce and becoming scarcer – that we should work wisely with raw materials. Together with our customers we strive to use waste for beneficial reuse, something we’ve been doing for over 40 years now. And although it may sound contradictory, we do not see residual waste as a ‘residue’. As a waste service provider we see the valuable beginning of a new cycle. Waste as raw material for new products and energy.
Our vision of raw materials, energy and waste management fits into the Cradle to Cradle (C2C) philosophy. This concept promotes the idea that products can be designed and manufactured in such a way that after their first life cycle they become reusable or biodegradable into raw materials to produce another new, equivalent or higher quality product. The result? An infinite product cycle where no waste is generated that cannot be used again.
One of our milestones in 2008 was the conclusion of a cooperative agreement with Prof. Dr. Michael Braungart, founder of the C2C concept, and his organisation, the Environmental Protection Encouragement Agency (EPEA).
Cradle to Cradle is driving our approach. This philosophy is based on potential and not ‘guilt management’ and it is also our motivation to work on sustainability every single day. Our knowledge of waste is of value to our partners and working together as early as product design stages, we can fulfil a role and help deliver profitable solutions.
Cradle to Cradle is based on the triangle of Ecology, Economy and Equity. Many organisations and companies have adopted the three Ps (People Planet, Profit)
as a guideline for corporate social responsibility but because the Van Gansewinkel Group adheres to the Cradle to Cradle philosophy, we have chosen ardently
for the three E’s methodology because it’s the approach closest to Cradle to Cradle.
The three Es need absolutely to be in balance. In a holistic approach, where the three Es are constant compared to each other. And there’s talk of more ways of communicating, as a result of which assessment and decisions become more integrated. We are convinced that sustainability can only be successful if there is a clear balance between the three Es: Ecology, Economy, Equity.
Our greatest contribution to a more sustainable society is by reducing use of primary, even fossil, raw materials. Derived from that and by handling our raw materials in a smarter way, we also contribute to the reduction of CO2 emissions. For instance, we achieve this by reducing energy required by our incinerators, through efficient logistics during collection and that’s even possible in our recycling processes – in glass recycling, for example.
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