12,280 pieces of donated furniture, two responsible prizes won and 40% socially disadvantaged employees. These are just a few of the 2017’s results in the 3R Kontor CSR (today HOLMRIS B8 Circular) Report, which has just been published.
Documentation of trendy promises is paramount
Responsible value chain, green principles and sustainable development. Today, phrases that indicates a sustainable agenda are increasingly in corporate rhetoric.
But which initiatives and results can really be called sustainable or green? HOLMRIS B8 Circular publishes a CSR report each year and, according to CSR Director Steffen Max Høgh, it is about being able to document their sustainable results regardless of size:
“Every year, we publish a CSR report, even though we are not legally bound by the company’s size. We do it because we want to prove that it is possible to run a positive business without compromising social and environmental responsibility. “
Furniture donations create environmental gains
In 2017, HOLMRIS B8 Circular donated 12,280 used furniture through the Donation Network. Furniture that instead of being discarded is donated to, for example, voluntary organizations. These donations benefit the environment because they reduce the production of new furniture and thus save CO2 emissions. In the CSR reporting, calculations have been made on different types of furniture, which describes the estimated environmental savings in kg of CO2.
For example, take the 3,348 chairs that HOLMRIS B8 Circular donated in 2017. This donation spared the environment for a CO2 emission of 126,132 kg CO2. It corresponds to 352 return flight trips from Copenhagen to Mallorca. The report describes the method of calculations, so there is no doubt as to how the numbers have been reached.
Investment in sustainable social sciences
It is also crucial for HOLMRIS B8 Circular to contribute to the development of society in a sustainable direction. Here, circular economy is a necessary mindset for a greener conversion, and we allied with the academic world and invested in research in this area.
Hence, Business PhD Heidi Kristensen was employed in autumn 2017. Heidi, M.Sc. in Environmental Management and Sustainability, focuses her research on circular economics over the next three years and examines its potential in public procurement.
