Onet and the National Institute for the Circular Economy: a long-term commitment!
In 2018, Onet strengthened its commitment to responsible development by joining the Institut national de l'économie circulaire, an organization whose mission is to promote the circular economy in France and Europe.
At the end of 2020, we renewed our partnership. Here's an overview of the actions carried out thanks to our partnership.
The role of the National Institute for the Circular Economy
Founded in 2013, National Institute for the Circular Economy is to promote the circular economy and accelerate its development through a collaborative dynamic. It has over 200 members, both public and private: companies, federations, local authorities, institutions, associations, NGOs and universities.
In practical terms, the Institute sets up working groups and carries out studies to centralize information. It then shares best practices and supports territories and organizations in their implementation.
It also contributes to the integration of the circular economy in the legislative field through active participation in the drafting of legislation.
As a reminder, the circular economy
refers to an economic model whose aim is to produce goods and services in a sustainable manner, limiting the consumption and wastage of resources and the production of waste. Its aim is to combine economic growth with the preservation of natural resources, through the creation of innovative products, services, business models and public policies.
Why this partnership?
In 2018, we joined the National Institute for the Circular Economy. The agreement is fully in line with our CSR commitment. It enables us to deepen our thinking in terms of the circular economy and contribute to its promotion.
Indeed, through this partnership,
- we benefit from regulatory and technical watch,
- we identify the potential impacts and opportunities of our business,
- we also take part in working groups run by the Institute.
Our mission is to make a real difference in terms of environmental impact, and to innovate in order to create new business models that can be applied to all players in the service sector.
In addition to signing this agreement, the Onet Group is strongly committed to responsible development. Since 2002, the Group has been implementing the "A present for the future" approach. Transversal to all our businesses, it enables us to meet environmental, economic, social and societal challenges. In this way, we are working to contribute to the sustainable development goals set by the United Nations.
Waste management, reduced energy consumption and employee training are just some of the areas in which the company is working to ensure our future.
The Institute, convinced of our commitment
"The Institut national de l'économie circulaire is delighted with the partnership with Onet. It brings invaluable ideas and skills to drive forward circular economy dynamics in organizations, both public and private, throughout France. And beyond that, the feedback from the transformation of processes at Onet, by promoting the reuse of bottles, is the perfect illustration of the positive impact that the circular economy can bring to a company and its customers alike, particularly in times of crisis."
Actions taken: an assessment
Biogistic, a fine example of a circular economy solution
Since joining the Institute, we have taken a number of important steps. The information on regulatory developments provided by the Institute helps us to manage our priorities in these areas.
The plastics law had thus been anticipated for large-scale implementation, with solutions proposed for our employees. The Biogistic responsible waste management solution has enabled us to reduce our plastic waste by 30%, saving over 2 million bottles from landfill over the next 5 years.
This global cleaning solution, which combines the use of eco-labelled and biotechnology-derived products with integrated logistics from ordering to on-site use of the products, is a concrete example of our circular economy approach. The Institute enables us to promote our solution and contribute to the dissemination of innovative business solutions.
Stop single-use plastic waste
Concrete actions have also been implemented within Onet to raise employee awareness and promote
- the use of reusable cups and tumblers,
- replacing plastic bottles with water jugs,
- use wooden stirring sticks or other compostable materials,
- offer biodegradable meal trays...
The aim is for everything to be designed with zero waste in mind.
We have access to a decryption by the Institute on one of our subjects of interest. This gives us a better idea of the urgency and enables us to apply the solution internally accordingly. This means we're well ahead of the game, ready to initiate new projects well in advance of certain regulations.
Between food for thought and agile work quality with the Institute
Circular economy topics are now numerous at Onet. In 2020, we deployed a Group-wide solution to give a second life to our IT equipment, resulting in over 5 tonnes of equipment collected.
2021 will be a pivotal year for the Onet Group in terms of energy transition, with the launch of pilot phases with our branches to integrate cleaner vehicles into our fleet of 4,000 vehicles.
Another example worth highlighting is a consequence of this partnership and Onet's unwavering commitment to its CSR approach. Through her investment, Muriel Duguay, our CSR manager, has been a member of the Institute's Board of Directors since September 2020. She is thus able to pass on and share our best practices or exchange views on our vision of the circular economy with major regional and national players.