For nearly 10 years, COESIO has been supporting organizations in their strategic, tactical, and operational approach to sustainable development, particularly in their management of residual materials. This year, we're taking the time to talk to some of them about their achievements, the obstacles they've faced, and the opportunities they've seized. In this series of publications, you'll have the chance to discover the details of their learning, development, and successes in waste management, so that you can be inspired to take action.
Passionate and committed since 1959, the Yves Rocher brand today boasts 54 branches, a head office in Longueuil, and over 450 employees across the country (Quebec, Ontario, New Brunswick). With a unique business model, Yves Rocher has created cosmetics born of a unique know-how that combines a commitment to nature, respect for communities and a passion for well-being, while enabling people to reconnect with their true nature. Botanist, manufacturer and retailer, Yves Rocher is the only global beauty brand to have chosen to control the entire life cycle of its products: from the plant to the skin of its 30 million customers.
The approach to optimizing waste management was initiated by Yves Rocher's North America division, which is primarily responsible for distributing products designed in France to the North American market.
Having joined the Yves Rocher team in 2007 as Quality Assurance Manager, Annie Julien is currently Operations Director.
With Yves Rocher for 11 years, Geneviève Chevalier works as a Printing Project Manager. Before this position, Geneviève began her career as an estimator in the printing industry.
Annie Julien
As soon as I arrived 15 years ago, it was already part of the intrinsic values of the Yves Rocher brand to reconnect with nature, to be aware of the environment, and to understand that every gesture counts. So social responsibility is truly integrated into the company's values. In terms of residual materials management, it was in 2010 that the group decided to start characterizing and analyzing what was being generated as waste, and then to sign up to RECYC-QUÉBEC's ICI on recycle + program, for which we received certification in 2011. So it's a process that's been integrated for a long time.
But it's like anything else. At a certain point, you reach a comfort zone and your efforts run out of steam. However, for the past 3 years, every employee has been obliged to include environmental projects in their SMART objectives. This has given rise to a host of small projects, both collaborative and individual. For example, a library for sharing used books has been set up, as well as a recycling bin for used clothes. Cigarette butt recycling and pencil recycling are other initiatives that have been part of Yves Rocher North America's commitment for several years.
Geneviève Chevalier
Yves Rocher, North America has also had a Globules verts committee in place for some ten years, of which I am a member. This committee meets monthly to discuss the company's social responsibility and encourage employees to adopt more sober lifestyles. Last year, the committee shared information on good recycling practices, as well as ideas for transforming recyclable materials into works of art. This year, the committee focused on zero-waste practices, sharing recipes for homemade household products and techniques for creating "mini gardens" by recycling the base of romaine lettuce, for example. So, for at least 10 years, even during the pandemic period, the committee has found a way to keep employees aware of the environmental cause.
Annie Julien
Ourobjective as a subsidiary, but also as an objective stemming from Groupe Rocher, is to achieve B Corp certification by 2025. To reach the number of points required for certification, and to make ourselves more globally responsible, we have chosen to participate in COESIO's EVO2030 Program. We will achieve this through support aimed at improving our waste management practices, including field characterization, improving our landfill detour rate, and implementing procedures.
Annie Julien
Thesupport provided enabled us to appreciate our strengths and identify practices or blind spots where we could improve. Our approach has produced good results: 96% of our materials are either recycled or recovered. Nevertheless, we have also noticed that certain practices that the division had put in place at the time have quietly been lost. I'm thinking in particular of the paper recycling that used to be done. Then, with the pandemic, the introduction of teleworking, and the closure of the recycling contractor at the time, the rate of material detour gradually lost ground. A solution was quickly found, and within a month, the correction was in place. A similar situation applies to plastics. All the plastic containers found in our waste during the characterization were redirected to an appropriate collection service. I also believe that human beings sometimes take bypass routes. So, taking a step back and requesting a waste characterization service, in particular by weighing each of our apple cores, enabled us to take stock and breathe new life into some waste management practices that had eluded us in recent years.
Quebec is currently in a phase of rapid transition when it comes to residual materials management. Several issues are putting pressure on the residual materials management (RMM) system at the national level:
To differentiate themselves from the market and lead the transition of the economic system towards a system of material circularity, companies must implement practices based on the 5R prioritization: refuse, reduce at source, reuse, recycle, then revalue. This strategic prioritization makes it possible to prioritize the means of reducing MR to optimize the use of resources.
In order to judiciously plan the implementation of materials management solutions, it is advisable to begin the process with a residual materials assessment. This provides information on the quantity and types of materials generated by the company's activities. Based on this information, and on the MR reduction targets set by the company, the means of reduction must be judiciously chosen according to 5R priorities. This optimization is carried out from a materials life-cycle perspective, for the company's entire value chain.
COESIO offers structured 4-phase support for company managers to identify hot spots, identify potential for improvement, structure the monitoring of MRM effectiveness and set up a framework for sound recovery practices.
Companies are invited to form a GMR committee dedicated to the approach and to improving performance. Initial discussions take place between COESIO's team of experts and the committee to validate the issues at stake, identify available data (purchases, invoices, lifts) and specify the methodological approach to be deployed.
The COESIO team is currently analyzing the data collected on site during the exhaustive characterization of waste discharge (accumulation of materials over 5 days), in order to determine the recovery potential of the waste generated by the company. This analysis is enhanced by an inventory of on-site collection facilities.
Through collaborative workshops, COESIO assists companies in planning concrete actions and setting up an efficient and context-appropriate MRM monitoring system. COESIO's experts propose an integrated waste management policy that respects the 5R hierarchy, as well as recommendations for value enhancement.
The company is then supported in the integration of solutions for the collection, display, and recovery of materials while relying on the participation of internal stakeholders through workshops, awareness-raising, and involvement.
Annie Julien
We are quite privileged. Yves Rocher North America reports monthly to the group. The collection of waste management data was something we were already piloting. It can't be very often that head offices demand this type of reporting from their divisions. We are even audited by an external firm to verify our waste management reporting. So we keep all the purchase orders and weigh certain materials as needed, to validate the information communicated.
Annie Julien
Thereare no major additional expenses incurred. For example, if we decide to go ahead and replace the use of plastic film for pallet packaging, with a reusable packaging system, we will inevitably incur additional costs. However, a return on investment is possible. Paper recycling will also generate savings, as it is now possible to combine the material with our existing cardboard collection at no extra cost. This will save us money on the tonne sent to landfill. COESIO has also helped us think about reduction at source. By reducing the size of our invoices, we're not eliminating the use of material, but we're already using less paper. The same applies to the size of our labels. We're currently analyzing whether it's possible to reduce their size, which would probably require an additional cost to modify the existing digital infrastructure, but in the long run, if the label costs less because it's smaller, there's bound to be a saving.
Geneviève Chevalier
Followingthe coaching, we quickly joined the selective collection offered by the City of Longueuil. An in-house employee now has the task of ensuring that the bins are deposited outside, at no extra cost to the company. With this approach, I think that employees no longer question the management of residual materials and are much more aware. The approach doesn't represent any additional cost; it's mainly useful for raising awareness of good practices that were lost with the pandemic.
Annie Julien
Thinkingabout residual materials management already existed. This can even be seen in the thinking behind our products, which are designed in France, with solid base products, to move towards products without plastic packaging. Even when it comes to packaging, eco-design efforts have been put forward to reduce the amount of material used. For example, we have open-sided packaging, requiring less cardboard. This approach, however, has been useful in putting wind in the sails of the company's commitments.
Geneviève Chevalier
Ithink all the employees are very open-minded. I've even heard that several employees have joined the company because of the responsible practices in place and for the Groupe Rocher vision. For some actions, we'll probably encounter some pitfalls, but I think employees are committed and ready to do their part.
Annie Julien
Thefirst was to see that there were still things we were doing well. This enabled us to validate that we were on the right track. Secondly, the strategic and operational aspects of the approach were very useful, since it is possible to track short- and medium-term actions to be implemented while identifying project leaders. Several actions have been assigned to team members and are already underway. And for longer-term projects, we anticipate that some employees will be interested in taking responsibility for them to complement their SMART performance objectives. The roadmap resulting from the COESIO coaching becomes a tool for all employees.
Geneviève Chevalier
Ifind the operationalization roadmap pleasing in its visibility. We can see what we're already doing well and where we need to put more effort. The tool is also useful for communicating the progress of our CSR strategy.
Geneviève Chevalier
For Groupe Rocher, waste management is very important. The approach has certainly strengthened our performance in this area and made us more aware of the issues. The approach enables us to develop reflexes regarding the right choices for managing residual materials. Good waste management practices are not a fad, they're a way of life.
Annie Julien
It's up to us to steer the project. We have to keep doing things right and make sure that the company doesn't slip back into old habits. We've focused on what we do well, which has given us wind in our sails, without having to make any major radical changes.
Annie Julien
Our aim is to obtain the points required for B Corp certification at the Groupe Rocher level and to take responsibility on a more global scale. In terms of residual materials management, we want to continue our efforts to find solutions for reusing materials, and then implement the necessary actions to ensure proper sorting of materials.
Annie Julien
Of course, it would be great to say that all our deliveries are made by electric truck and to allow our customers to consume all our products in bulk. I don't think it's easy to get there, but I think an elephant is eaten in small bites, so you just have to keep walking. One small step at a time, we'll get there. Maybe we'll never get to zero waste, but we'll get there as much as we can.
Annie Julien
I'd recommend any company to go for it 100%. For example, in the COESIO support program, we obtain simple, visual conclusions enabling us to prioritize actions to improve waste management. I believe that every company should take part in a similar process to become aware of the quantity of residual materials generated, identify what is being done well and what could be improved. Today, this should be mandatory. It's important to be aware of our ecological footprint, both in our business and in our personal lives. The process has also inspired me to characterize the waste generated in my personal life. I'm convinced that by looking into the subject, I'll be able to identify areas for improvement in my home GMR.
Written by :
Jean-Philippe Lanctôt, Advisor
