FORT MILL, US – Diversey is honored has been named as a Finalist in the category of Best Recycling/Circularity Initiative for the Chemical Week Sustainability Awards 2021. Diversey submitted CoffeeBriques for the award. With more than 400 billion cups consumed each year, coffee is arguably the most popular drink in the world. The volume of grounds used to make that much coffee is staggering. Moreover, coffee grounds, once percolated, typically have been thrown in the garbage on their way to a landfill.
The CoffeeBriques programme converts used coffee grounds into eco-friendly fuel for cooking and heating. CoffeeBriques not only provide a cheaper source of fuel, but also enables people to earn livelihoods by converting the used coffee grounds into CoffeeBriques, as well as protects the environment by reducing or eliminating deforestation that results from using wood or charcoal as primary energy source.
This is the second consecutive year which Diversey has been shortlisted as a Finalist in the Chemical Week Sustainability Awards. In 2020, Diversey was named a Finalist in the Best Sustainability Initiative category, for the Soap For Hope programme.
The Sustainability Awards’ winners will be announced on the 18th November 2021 at Chemical Week’s Financial Outlook & Sustainability Forum, to be held virtually from 17–18 November 2021.
To determine who would be included in the shortlist, each application was scored by a panel of 4 judges with 12 judges in total.
“We received solid entries for each category, with “Best Sustainable Product” and “Best Recycling/Circularity Initiative” generating particular interest” commented Rob Westervelt, Editor in Chief of IHS Markit’s Chemical Week.
Westervelt also noted that going through the applications they came across excellent examples of how companies are incorporating sustainability in their operations, product development, and strategic planning, further underscoring the importance of the topic for the industry’s future.
For instance, some of the most fascinating entries showcased innovative ways of integrating biobased raw materials throughout the supply chain. Other entries laid out ambitious and innovative strategies to create a closed-loop economy. Others, still, focused on more stringent standards around ESG reporting.
Being shortlisted for a reputable sustainability award recognizes and validates Diversey’s creativity and innovation while celebrating best-in-class global sustainability initiatives. CoffeeBriques (as well as other Diversey programmes such as Soap For Hope and Linens For Life) underscores the major premise of a circular economy.
Unlike a linear economy, in which resources are taken to make something, used, and then thrown away, a circular economy strives to take what is necessary to make the things we need, but instead of disposing of them when they’ve exhausted their useful life in one form, upcycles them for reuse to meet ongoing needs.
Circularity, like sustainability generally, is about eliminating waste. And that’s what each of these programmes has done successfully. At Diversey, we take great pride in what we have accomplished. We remain committed to developing the products, programmes and solutions we all need to thrive in the years ahead.
