Translations Best practice in French version Best practice in English version

KBANE - GROUPE ADEO builds awareness among staff regarding effective waste management techniques

4. Environment

Waste management

Context

Created in 2007, Kbane designs and implements sustainable solutions for healthier homes that are more energy efficient and environmentally-friendly. Set up at 5 distinct sites (3 stores and 2 warehouses), Kbane has a current workforce of 83 employees and offers 3 types of services: consulting, installation, and self-serve retailing. The company's activity results in the generation of various types of waste.

Objectives

- Maintain consistency with the company's objectives and Sustainable Development values
- Train personnel in the proper waste sorting protocols and waste stream identification
- Maximize waste reuse with the dual perspective of future resale and overall cost reduction.

APPROACH

Each time that Kbane arrives at the client's site to perform an installation, the job gets started by dismantling and removing an existing boiler, an old wood-burning stove or obsolete windows, etc. The debris and waste produced are to be considered as new raw materials, wherein lies the importance for Kbane to sort them and organize their recycling in as much detail as possible.

At the company's Marquette-lez-Lille site (northern France), a total of 22 different types of waste are sorted, recycled or eliminated. Rubble, wood and cardboard are treated alongside windows, plastic films, EEEW (Electrical and Electronic Equipment Waste), Brita filters and cartridges, and even Nespresso capsules, among other household items.

A master plan for waste collection, storage and reuse has been implemented to guide the actions of each party.

Kbane has associated with ten or so specialized recycling firms at its sites both in Marquette-lez-Lille and Barentin (Normandy): Malaquin or SITA, ELISE, RECYLUM, SCRELEC, CHIMIREC, BRITA and ECOLOGIC are the leading partnerships.

To better grasp the challenges involved, Kbane has set up a calendar of mandatory field visits, for every employee, held at Lille Metropolitan Area waste sorting facilities. The objective of this action: understanding the benefit of discarding less and sorting more. Lively sessions devoted to the topic are also organized on a regular basis. A quality monitoring system focusing on waste sorting practices is shared with all participating teams.

Moreover, Kbane encourages its suppliers to develop innovations that enhance the recycling of certain products.

Fully aware of the importance of its mission, Kbane is just as intent on raising client awareness. Clients are invited to visit the waste sorting center, at which time the company distributes a lamp collection bag, a battery box and a "Stop Pub" decal, asking them to recover certain products (e.g. light bulbs, batteries) at the end of their useful life as part of a recycling effort.

CONTRIBUTION TO COMPANY PERFORMANCE

- 40% reduction in waste handling fees
- Cost optimization through reselling high-quality recovered materials
Example:
- 1 ton of non-hazardous industrial waste costs €80, while 1 ton of cardboard commands a repurchase price of €50.

Benefits

- 100% of the workforce trained in waste sorting techniques
-    22 waste streams targeted for reuse
- 60% of wastes recycled.

Workforce
83
Turnover
n.c.
Country
France

KBANE - GROUPE ADEO

1, rue de Menin
Parc de l
59520 MARQUETTE LEZ LILLE

www.kbane.com

Mise à jour le 30/05/2016

Creative Commons Attribution This work by Réseau Alliances – World Forum Lille is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.