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Sustainability
We have taken the time to work out a sustainability strategy that we all believe in and are willing to fight for. One that’s based on actionable commitments, encompasses our key priorities and reflects the spirit of B.I.G. in a sincere way.
Our vision for the B.I.G. change is to actively build a better future by reducing our environmental footprint to zero, taking care of our people and those around us, and doing business in a transparent, ethical way.
Shaping sustainable living, together
Global warming is one of the biggest challenges mankind has ever faced. We therefore believe that it’s urgent that everyone — governments, citizens and businesses — takes action to ensure we can maintain a decent quality of life and make living sustainable on earth. The simple fact is: the future has to be sustainable, or there will be no future.
Businesses must be part of the solution. B.I.G. must be part of the solution.
It’s why we are already taking practical steps to reduce our ecological footprint. But we will gear up our collective efforts and develop and implement actively new and better ways to produce our products more sustainably. Our ultimate goal is to make living more sustainable for today’s and tomorrow’s generations.
We can make this happen. We have always been energetic entrepreneurs making products and doing what was necessary to develop and move the business forward.
Together we can make sustainable living.
In seeking solutions we have to take account not just of the economic aspect but also of the ecological and sociological aspects.
In order to reduce our dependence on exhaustible raw materials, it’s important to be on the same page as customers who have the same ambitions and attach the same value to sustainability.
We need to reshape to become an industry leader. This means leading by example, changing the way we think and look outside the box.
With innovative materials such as our geotextiles, we can achieve great sustainability benefits.
Plastic does not have a good reputation. We need to make a shift towards recycled and circular plastics to meet upcoming norms and customers’ expectations.
We contribute to Route 2030 by improving health, safety, working conditions and the skills & knowledge of our employees.
One of our actions for a more sustainable future is the
offer of free-of-charge take-back and recycling programs.
We used to pump 20 million liters of water every year. Today that is already 25% less.
Every finished product we bring to market, we take back ourselves at some point.
We are doing a lot to engage and inspire our employees and their families to encourage a sustainable way of living.
We are trying to ensure our materials contain 25% recycled content and we hope to bring that to 50% in the near future.
The use of renewable energy sources benefits B.I.G. because it makes us less dependent on the energy market.
Each and every one of us will participate in reshaping our business, by rethinking, designing, implementing or supporting more sustainable solutions.
Our roadmap to 2030
As a global company, we are well aware of the environmental challenges facing our planet, and we are determined to do our part.
To further consolidate our sustainability commitments, we have developed a roadmap that reflects our sustainable approach with 5 routes leading to a zero footprint future.
We take responsibility for the environmental impacts of our operations
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Water
We constantly monitor our water consumption and use as little water as possible in our production processes. When we do need to use water, we prioritise recycled water.
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Energy
Futureproof energy management is a top priority at B.I.G. That’s why we implement very ambitious energy reduction programmes at our sites.
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Waste
We take various initiatives to reduce waste, from recycling yarns from marine plastic waste to optimising the size of client samples. Also, we recycle and re-granulate our internal waste.
We value our employees and the people around us
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Our workforce
B.I.G. actively works towards being a talent-first organisation, embracing strength-based career paths and a collaborative, open-minded company culture.
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Local communities
We manage several charity programmes and we regularly count on the services of social workshops, while also providing opportunities for students around our facilities.
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Safety
From providing ergonomic workstations to implementing behaviour-based safety programmes, we aim to eliminate all possible risks from the work environment – thus meeting and often exceeding legal requirements.
We work towards a circular economy with the whole supply chain in mind
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Content in products
Ranging from the creation of our 100% recyclable Needle Felt carpet Rewind to launching a new product range with at least 30% recycled polypropylene in our Distriplast facility.
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Packaging
To lower our ecological footprint, our packaging processes incorporate recycled and/or recyclable content.
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Circular solutions
Many of our innovation efforts centre around enabling the production of recyclable, monomaterial end products, such as our UltraBond fibres.
We take responsibility for our climate impact
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Renewable energy
Various B.I.G. sites are equipped with solar panels. Moreover, we replace fossil fuel-driven equipment with electrical equipment when possible.
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CO2 emissions
We focus on multimodal transportation and minimise CO2 emissions at all our production sites.
We act with integrity and value open communication
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Communication
Transparency is key to keep things moving in the same direction. B.I.G. uses clear communication to increase employee engagement and retention and build a successful internal culture.
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B.I.G. policies and guidelines
Our commitments, like our Code of Conduct and our Responsible Business Statement, are all documented in our policies and guidelines, ensuring international regulatory compliance, doing business ethically streamlining (internal processes) and providing input for decision-making.
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Conduct code for suppliers
We place the bar high for ourselves, and expect the same from our suppliers. Only together can we really make a difference. Read more about our Supplier Code of Conduct here.
Our organisation
