Thursday, 14 July 2011 10:15

Environmentally friendly production: kids make their own paper

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Twenty-two kids from grades 7 and 8 of the Lambertus primary school in Swalmen recently visited us to find out more about our environmentally friendly production processes. Their visit was part of the so-called Environmental Meetings Programme (EMP) in which various schools in Middle Limburg participated. QHSE coordinator Jos Manders: “In line with our CSR guidelines, we are happy to invest time and energy in the young people around us. These kinds of visits are intended to teach them something useful for the future.”

 

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The goal of the EMP is to raise the awareness level of kids, via out of class activities, with respect to their own impact on nature, the environment and sustainability in their immediate surroundings. “So our company is a good place for them to visit,” explains Jos Manders, “as we do our best every day to minimize the impact of our production process on the environment.”


After an introduction by Manders, the kids were given a tour of the factory and were allowed to make paper themselves with several operators. “They're always very enthusiastic, but they're also surprised by the noise, heat and smells in the factory. More than likely, they don't expect that, as very little of it is noticeable outside the factory.”


Manders explains things to the kids in a straightforward and honest fashion. “The paper industry does impact the environment, and we don't avoid that issue. After all, we use a great deal of energy, electricity and water and also generate waste materials. I explain to them that all this contributes to CO2 emissions and climate warming. Of course, I also explain that all the paper we make is made from recycled paper and that no trees need to be cut down for our production process. Throughout the production process, we continually take the environment into account and use as little energy as possible. People obviously need toilet paper, but the real question is how to produce it in an environmentally friendly fashion.”


“Our company is based on three pillars”, says Manders: “people, planet and profit. These 3 Ps need to be in balance with each other. For example, if there's too much of a focus on profit, things will definitely end up badly in the long term. Problems will arise with the surrounding population and/or the employees. We strongly believe that, without a well thought out CSR policy, it's simply impossible to operate a company in a sound and responsible fashion.”

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