It almost seems like magic, but a little effort can make a big difference. It all started with a quick chat by the coffee machine in the Mölnlycke Health Care factory in Waremme, Belgium. NATHALIE SCUTERI, Factory Controller, and NOÉMIE BROGNEZ from the Supply Group, got on the topic of environmental responsibility.
“People are becoming more aware and pause to think about how the products they use have been made and how companies act when it comes to the impact they have on the environment,” Nathalie argued. Noémie agreed and added that personal responsibility and action are also important. “So let’s do something!” Nathalie said with a big smile. That’s really how their campaign “L’Energie – ça compte” or “Energy – it matters”, started.
The campaign focused on energy reduction in the office by taking simple, yet effective actions. Nathalie and Noémie got help from an energy expert from the Wallonia Enterprises Union who helped them pinpoint the electrical devices around the office that required the most energy. The top three culprits were heating, computers, and lighting. Soda machines, LCD screens, and drinking water fountains also made the list. Nathalie and Noémie decided to target the top areas to get the biggest chunk possible of energy to disappear.
Nathalie and Noémie knew that it would be critical to get all of the employees mobilized in order to implement energy-saving actions. This could not be a top-down driven initiative – grassroots efforts were needed. They organized information sessions not only to educate people about energy, but also get them excited about it.
The sessions were even held in different languages to make sure ex-pats and guests could also attend. It was important to create a high level of engagement and excitement around watts, amperes, and volts so Nathalie and Noémie needed to think beyond PowerPoint slides. That’s how a stationary bike became part of the information sessions. On it the audience could pull a bit of a magic act of their own and prove to themselves that a person can indeed generate 100 watts and power a light. The employees even showed their creativity by designing logos for the campaign.
Once they had mobilized their colleagues, they began implementing simple actions such as turning off lights in empty conference rooms and computers, printers, and copy machines at the end of each day. The air conditioning was also turned off on days when an open window would suffice. Timers and motion detectors were installed. Power strips will be installed so that appliances can be turned off with one simple flick of a switch. To encourage people to push that off button at the end of the day or a meeting, Nathalie and Noémie created posters that reminded their colleagues to think green. It didn’t take long before their colleagues came up with their own energy-saving ideas. “It really became a group effort,” Nathalie says. “Many employees even started using our green tactics at home. After all, you don’t have to be in the office to turn off lights.”
So, how much of an energy reduction have Nathalie and Noémie achieved? Well, the bean counters are still calculating the figures, but it’s fair to say that Nathalie and Noémie have been able make numerous kilowatt hours vanish. Their goal is a 10% reduction so the magic act in Belgium continues.
Noémi and Nathalie aren’t the only employees in Waremme who perform green magic. ISABELLE ARTUS, a Production Operator, got an Innovation Award from the Belgian government for her efforts. Isabelle was used to buying cleaning wipes for the machinery she worked with until she one day realized the potential of the waste material generated in the factory. You see, Isabelle helps manufacture highly absorbent surgical drapes and some waste material is inevitably generated during the cutting process. Instead of treating the off-cuts as waste, she decided to give them a new life as cleaning wipes. A little bit of recycling magic was created.
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