8 May 2017 Valletta, Malta

Contributing to making the European economy more circular

EMAS AWARDS 2017

Environment

02

Foreword by Karmenu Vella, European Commissioner for the Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries 3 The Jury 4

The Nominees 6

Imprint 16

CONTENTS

EMAS Awards 2017

History and idea behind the EMAS Awards

In 2005 the European Commission decided to reward the excellent work of EMAS-registered organisations in environmental protection by introducing the EMAS Awards. Each year, from 2005 to 2012, the EMAS Awards recognised outstanding achievements in one particular environmental management aspect, such as resource efficiency or waste management.

After 2012, the Commission revised the format for the EMAS Awardsand chose the more general theme ‘Effective eco-innovationssupporting improvements in environmental performance’. Since 2015, the Awards have taken place every two years, alternating with the European Business Awards for the Environment (EBAE).

The event is a cornerstone for the promotion of EMAS and the Awards winners, as well as a platform facilitating the dialogue between key stakeholders.

The Awards are an opportunity for EMAS-registered organisations to share and promote their best environmental management practices.

The theme for the 2017 edition of the EMAS Awards is ‘Contributing to making the European economy more circular’. It will reward organisations which took steps to make their operations or business model more resource efficient, for instance by redesigning products to increase lifetime or reducing waste.

FOrEwOrd

EMAS Awards 2017

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Dear EMAS community,

Leafing through this brochure, I am struck by the vibrant energy that EMAS can inspire. Every nominee has demonstrated a significant commitment to improving their environmental performance, and followed up with real-world achievements to match.

Many of these results are proof not just of the efficacy of EMAS, but also of the reality of the circular economy. What began as a theoretical concept is fast becoming an effective business model, one that can be implemented by any organisation, public or private, small or large.

Organisations that have integrated EMAS into their operations are clearly showing how circular approaches can bring benefits for all. There are obvious advantages for the environment, but there are benefits too for all the different stakeholders involved, from suppliers and manufacturers to customers and local communities.

It also shows how good EMAS is for public bodies. As one of the most robust tools available for identifying good performers, it allows us to reward them, and gives others the incentive to join the club. The transparency of EMAS means that the scheme can be used to demonstrate progress in any number of environmental areas, from waste management to reductions in carbon emissions.

Tonight’s ceremony is a unique shop window. By showcasing these great examples, we demonstrate that environmental progress is an opportunity within everyone’s grasp. When addressed in a structured way through an effective system, the management of environmental performance turns potential conflicts into benefits. Most companies know that resource efficiency can be a huge source of savings and a competitive advantage, but fewer are aware of the advantages of implementing a good management system.

I hope these Awards will bring the advantages of EMAS to an ever-wider audience, helping greater numbers of organisations to continue improving their performance. As demonstrated by today’s nominees, EMAS can help foster new partnerships, identify new business opportunities, increase employee satisfaction and improve your reputation.

Let’s make sure we use tonight to spread the word about these benefits, and bring the EMAS advantage to an ever greater pool of users.

Karmenu Vella European Commissioner for the Environment,

Maritime Affairs and Fisheries

Jury Chair Hans Bruyninckx dr Hans Bruyninckx has been Executive director of the European Environment Agency since 1 June 2013. In 1996 he completed a Phd in International Environmental Politics and since 2010 has headed the HIVA research Institute, specialising in policy research. He has conducted research in environmental politics, climate change, and sustainable development worldwide.

The circular economy concept requires organisations to completely rethink their

processes in order to move from a linear model (extract – produce – dispose) to a

circular approach where all resources are used, and their economic value is kept in

loops in the system, and nothing is wasted. Organisations which have implemented an

environmental management system (EMS) to monitor their processes and constantly

reduce their impact on the environment have already taken a first important step

towards the circular economy. Among other aspects of their EMS, EMAS-registered

organisations’ use of key performance indicators in their environmental management

systems and EMAS environmental statements give them a thorough knowledge

of their environmental impacts. When it comes to efficient resource use and the

economic benefit that comes with it, they thus have an opportunity to be innovative

leaders in their respective industries.

From agriculture (production of fertilisers from waste), transport (re-manufacturing

of components from rail vehicles) to hotels (sustainable purchasing, waste

minimisation) and office management (reuse of old furniture parts to create new

ones), the Nominees for the EMAS Awards 2017 innovate in very different areas. They

are inspirational, individually but also as a group – in light of their achievements, we

invite you to imagine what the future economy will look like.

THE JUrY04

EMAS Awards 2017

Message from the Jury Chair

Pavel Ruzicka is an environmental consultant focused on sustainable consumption and production issues. He works for the company ENVIrOS, where he manages projects in the fields of resource efficiency and environmental protection. He chaired the Forum of EMAS Competent Bodies in 2010 and 2011, and the international PrEPArE Network between 2012 and 2014.

Harri Moora is Programme director at the Stockholm Environment Institute’s Tallinn Centre, the author of numerous works on environmental management, resource efficiency and technology assessment, and has extensive, EU-wide experience as a lead auditor, consultant and trainer in HSE management systems. He is also an Estonian Association for Environmental Management board member.

Prof. Peter Hopkinson is Professor of Innovation and Environmental Strategy at the University of Bradford. He leads the university and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s education programme on the circular economy. He was also recently awarded a UK research project on system re-design for circular buildings and construction.

Marta Escamilla Monell manages the Sustainability division of the LEITAT Technological Center. She coordinates projects, at both a national and European level, related to the circular economy and has been involved in many LIFE+, FP7, and H2020 research projects quantifying the environmental impacts of new technologies. In addition, she serves as General Secretary of Club EMAS Cataluña.

Nora Sophie Griefahn is a member of the executive board and a co-founder of the Cradle to Cradle association. She is an environmental scientist who focuses on sustainable chemistry. She works to increase the impacts of the association on society, assumes teaching activities and leads international conferences.

Jean Pierre Hannequart is Honorary President of the Fundación para la Economía Circular (Foundation for the Circular Economy), former General director of the Brussels Institute for Environmental Management and President of the Association of Cities and regions for recycling and Sustainable resource Management (ACr+). He has published various studies and articles on environmental European policy.

Isabel Lico works as Senior Advisor at the Portuguese Environment Agency. She participates in many working groups at a European and national level to coordinate projects and funds on environmental issues (Life Programme, EBAE, Integrated Product Policy, Green Public Procurement, etc.).

Makios Athanasios, is the Marketing & Environmental Manager of VAS. & EK. Kottaridi G.P. (KLIMIS). His studies in Applied and Environmental Physics have helped him, over the last 10 years, to successfully implement and maintain EMAS inside his organisation. KLIMIS was an EMAS Award winner in 2009 and 2014.

THE JUrY 05

EMAS Awards 2015

Jury Members

The company Acqua & Sole s.r.l. has managed, since 2016, a ‘Centre for the recovery of nutrients’ in Lombardy. This facility uses waste and by-products generated during food production and consumption to produce the nutrients necessary for agriculture, thus using resources in closed loops. The Centre aims at making agriculture independent from nutrients produced from fossil fuels or minerals. www.neorurale.net/en/the-group/acqua-sole

Italy

The Aparthotel Green Garden is a family hotel located in Majorca, offering four-star services with sustainability in mind. It tracks environmental indicators through a platform shared with other establishments in the region. The hotel has reduced its energy consumption by almost 14 % since 2014 by improving the thermal installation and thermal insulation of the main buildings, and reviewing the cooking processes it uses. water-saving and waste-prevention activities have also been put in place.www.gardenhotels.com

Spain

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EMAS Awards 2017

Category: Small and Medium Private Organisations

Established in 1912, the Janetschek printing company introduced a sustainability strategy in 2003. Since 2009 it has been calculating the carbon footprint of its printed products upon request. Customers can decide to offset their emissions by investing in a project of CO2 sequestration through humus. The project helps restore humus in the region to recover soil quality and store CO2.www.janetschek.at

Austria

The group of companies PMC Holding – Nnof, Your Mover Logistics offers complete services to improve office spaces. They imagine new ways of working for their clients; creating sustainable working places, offering repair and maintenance services, optimising logistics for furniture suppliers, and designing new furniture from old materials. They demonstrate that reducing the environmental impact by 80 % is perfectly possible using this circular model.www.pmc-holding.com

Belgium

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EMAS Awards 2017

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EMAS Awards 2017

Seacourt Ltd is one of the world’s leading environmental printing companies. In 2009 it became the first printing company to bring ZErO waste to landfill. In 2015 its pioneering approach saw the development of a revolutionary printing process, LightTouch (waterless and LEd printing), which improves the quality of the printed product whilst simultaneously delivering further significant environmental benefits. By printing on recycled paper, using 100 % renewable energy in a carbon positive factory, producing ZErO waste to landfill, consuming no water and ZErO chemicals, Seacourt perform truly sustainable printing. www.seacourt.net

United Kingdom

Founded in 1650, the Schloßbrauerei Autenried GmbH brews beers in Ichenhausen using state-of-the-art technology and traditional craftsmanship. Since 1980, the company has been pursuing a waste prevention strategy through reusable containers and waste separation. It carefully monitors and optimises energy consumption in its factory and hotel through insulation, heat recovery, solar panels, etc.www.autenrieder.com

Germany

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General Motors España became a ‘landfill-free’ facility in 2014, following the group’s global strategy. The Zaragoza plant reuses, recycles or transforms into energy, any by-products or waste generated from its daily operations, achieving a 0 % landfill rate. It has changed its manufacturing process to reduce solvent consumption from paint dramatically and composts its wastewater treatment sludge to create fertiliser.www.opel.es

Spain

CEMEX Polska Sp. z o.o. is one of the leading cement producers in Poland. In its production process, CEMEX Polska uses alternative fuels, mainly derived from municipal waste, and raw materials from the waste of other industries. These include fly ash and synthetic gypsum from power plants and blast furnace slag from the metallurgical industry. The waste CEMEX generates from its own activities is also reused or recycled in construction projects.www.cemex.pl

Poland

Category: Large Private Organisations

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EMAS Awards 2017

WIEGEL Verwaltung GmbH & Co KG is a family business, and was founded in 1948. with hot-dip galvanising and powder coating, wIEGEL protects steel permanently against rust. Its state-of-the-art systems minimise environmental pollution and energy consumption. wIEGEL created closed material cycles, and reduced the proportion of hazardous waste for disposal from 70 % to 3 %. It limited the use of inorganic substances for degreasing, and phased out lead. www.wiegel.de

Germany

Martin’s Hotels is a company that owns and operates hotels. The company applies the circular economy model through its purchasing policy (sourcing local and eco-labelled products, leasing equipment, green electricity, etc.), waste management (preference for rechargeable products, electronic communication, bulk purchases, implementation of sorting bins), and also during renovations (donation of equipment, reuse of furniture).www.martinshotels.com/configurator/fr/tomorrow-needs-today

Belgium

ÖBB-Technische Services GmbH is a division of the ÖBB group, the leading mobility services provider in Austria, taking care of the maintenance and modernisation of rail vehicles. ÖBB-TS refurbishes a large part of the components collected from maintenance activities and thus extends the service life of rail vehicles, reducing waste and the use of raw materials. www.ts.oebb.at

Austria

Category: Public Organisations

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EMAS Awards 2017

Base Aérea Nº5, located in Monte real, is a military air base in charge of ensuring the readiness of national air units, internal security and immediate defence. The air base has implemented actions aligned with circular economy goals, notably, the acquisition of out-of-service F-16 Fighting Falcon aircrafts for refurbishment, in order to bring them back to life. Other actions include a reduction in paper and energy consumption, recovery of waste, and rainwater harvesting.www.emfa.pt/www/index

Portugal

The City Council of Sant Antoni de Portmany, located on the island of Ibiza, is in charge of managing local beaches. The Council’s actions include returning the seagrass Posidonia oceanica removed before the bathing season (and previously considered waste) to its natural environment, granting public transportation access to beaches, and providing beach furniture and waste-sorting equipment made from recycled plastics.www.santantoni.net/portalSanAntoni/p_1_principal1.jsp?codResi=1

Spain

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EMAS Awards 2017

The City of Vienna, Municipal Department 48 – Waste Management, Street Cleaning and Vehicle Fleet is responsible for waste disposal, waste treatment, street cleaning and procurement of vehicles for the municipal authorities. In its environmental policy, waste prevention is given high priority. In 2015 MA 48 opened the 48er-Tandler, a reuse shop with a modern and unique design. Its goal is to make reuse more attractive. The shop donates many of its items and proceeds to charities and animal welfare organisations. www.wien.gv.at/english/

Austria

The Comune di Tavarnelle Val di Pesa is a small municipality in Tuscany involved in various initiatives contributing to the circular economy, such as the operation of a biomass power plant that uses waste collected on riverbanks, the organisation of markets where citizens can trade used items, the collection of household oils to produce fuel, the promotion of composting, and the installation of water providers to avoid plastic bottles. www.tavarnellevp.it

Italy

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EMAS Awards 2017

The European Parliament is engaged in sustainable development through its political and legislative role but also in its daily operations. Its EMS aims at contributing to the circular economy through a sustainable buildings and waste management policy that includes donations, a systematic green public procurement approach, and awareness-raising activities and training.www.europarl.europa.eu

France

Hochschule für nachhaltige Entwicklung Eberswalde has been committed to sustainable research and teaching for over 180 years. Its campus is a model of sustainability: from using solar energy and eco-electricity, and a very modern wood-fired heating system, to catering. It has implemented numerous initiatives through student participation (e.g. collection of old mobile phones) and supports very original research projects (e.g. ‘packaging-free supermarkets’, ‘wood-E-Bike’ or ‘development of tropical - timber - free guitar’). www.hnee.de

Germany

The Lake Balaton Development Coordination Agency (LBDCA) is a non-profit organisation. Established in 2000, its mission is to coordinate regional development activities and ensure environmental protection, for example through the funding of restoration projects. The LBdCA has implemented actions to increase the energy efficiency of its buildings, use more eco-friendly products and decrease paper consumption, and supports projects for developing clean transportation in the region.www.balatonregion.hu

Hungary

Federal Public ServiceMobility and Transport

The Federal Public Service Mobility and Transport prepares and implements mobility policy in Belgium. It focuses on safety, the environment, social issues and the optimum integration of all modes of transport. It leads projects related to the circular economy (e.g. ship recycling) but also applies the principle in its day-to-day management (promotion of teleworking, car-sharing, digitalisation of offices, the supply of eco-labelled products, etc.).www.mobilit.belgium.be/fr

Belgium

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EMAS Awards 2017

Wojewódzki Fundusz Ochrony Środowiska i Gospodarki Wodnej w Gdańsku (WFOŚiGW w Gdańsku) is the region of Pomerania’s fund for environmental protection and water management. wFOŚiGw aims at giving priority financing to projects related to the circular economy. These include the funding of separate waste-collection systems, a new waste management plant and awareness-raising activities. The new headquarters, with its use of renewable energy sources and rainwater, exemplifies good practice. Among the fund’s greatest achievements are its application of green public procurement, and the implementation of the Cradle to Cradle project.www.wfos.gdansk.pl

Poland

© European Union, 2017 reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged. EMAS Awards 2017

EditorsEuropean Commission dG Environment B1 - Sustainable Production, Products & Consumption

Printed May 2017

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