42 Ecology An awareness of the environment and high quality have been vital elements in the Girsberger corporate philosophy for over 130 years. The Girsberger companies in Bützberg/Switzerland and Endingen/Germany have had an EN ISO 9001-certified quality management system for quality control in place since 1995 and since 2007 have also been EN ISO 14001-certified for their comprehensive environmental management system. This means that, in addition to complying with the legislation, we are also committed to adhering to regulatory norms, systematically taking account of all key environmental aspects, and continuously improving our environmental performance. An external certified body audits our compliance with these regulations every year. In addition to our environmentally friendly production methods, we also take specific action to protect the environment and preserve species diversity. We have been supporting the Smaragd (Emerald) project (part of the EU’s “ Natura 2000” network) since 2009. As well as providing financial support, we also use this platform in-house to raise awareness of environmental issues. We do this as part of special information campaigns. All production at Girsberger has been carbon-neutral since 1 January 2015. We use energy-efficient production methods and handle resources carefully. Nevertheless, it is not possible to avoid CO2 emissions completely in our production and distribution processes. We offset those remaining emissions – in 2022 they amounted to 691 tons – by supporting the Fair Recycling foundation. This Swiss foundation has set up a unique recycling system with its local partner Indústria Fox in Brazil. Indústria Fox collects old, inefficient cooling appliances and recycles them to Swiss standards at its plant near São Paulo. The greenhouse gases in the appliances, such as HCFC and F-gases, are completely burnt off in a high-temperature furnace. In 2022, 98,341 tons of CO2-equivalent were removed from the atmosphere in this way. Since the project began in 2011, a total of more than 1.6 million tons have been removed. The destruction of greenhouse gases is inspected and validated by external certification bodies. For every properly recycled refrigerator, about a ton of CO2-equivalent is removed. Furthermore, 95% of the materials in each refrigerator are recovered and returned to the circular economy. Fair Recycling bases all its work on the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals of Agenda 2030. By recycling electronic waste, Fair Recycling is preventing toxic gases from entering the environment. The organisation is also socially engaged and works to set up training programmes for local workers. Since 2019, employees at Indústria Fox have been offered the opportunity to acquire new knowledge and specialist recycling skills. Through partnerships with local institutions such as SENAI (Serviço Nacional en Aprendizagem Industrial - National Service for Industrial Training), workers can take part-time courses in the industry. Indústria Fox employs 148 people, 65% of them men and 35% women. Environmental resources The Fair Recycling Foundation Obstgartenstrasse 28 8006 Zürich Website link: https://fair-recycling.com/ Compressor Magnet Polyurethane pellets Aluminium Iron Glass wool Plastic The refrigerator is dismantled and 95% of the recyclable materials are recycled Copper
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NjQ1