In this interview, our new Sustainability Manager, Henriette Grunwald, discusses her strategic goals for sustainability at Schulz & Sohn and explains how small measures to engage employees can have a big impact.
What inspired you to aspire to the position of Sustainability Manager?
My bachelor’s thesis deepened my interest in sustainability. I firmly believe that companies like S&S need to take sustainability seriously – not just for ethical reasons, but because it’s a necessity.
What goals have you set for your new role?
- Targeted use and saving of resources
- Creating an awareness of sustainability among all employees, both privately and professionally — moving away from stereotypes such as the ‘eco-aunt’
- Establishing an economic connection and relevance for sustainability
- Creation of a sustainability report
How do you plan to promote awareness of sustainability within the company?
Through workshops, striking information and motivating employees without pointing the finger at individuals.
What challenges do you see in implementing sustainable practices in our operations?
Lack of interest, underestimation of importance, perseverance, and communication
What measures do you want to take to reduce our company’s ecological footprint?
Creating awareness of sustainability among all employees and consciously organising the use of resources.
What steps will you take to sensitise and train employees for sustainability?
Through education, enthusiasm, and motivation for the topic, it’s about gradual change and not perfection.
How will you measure and evaluate the success of your sustainability initiatives?
Using specialised data, comparative data and developing our sustainability measurement scale.
Are there any specific best practices or initiatives from other companies that you would like to integrate into our strategy?
Yes, for example, the recycling of materials such as cans or old stationery.
What are we already doing at Schulz & Sohn in terms of sustainability?
A few things that we can be very proud of. A few examples:
E-charging stations for cars and vehicles from logistics, PV systems on our roofs, waste separation, reduction of printouts and printers, tips on saving energy with stickers on light switches and air conditioning systems. (e.g. ‘No one there? Lights off!’, ‘Air conditioning on? Windows closed!’)
How can other departments or employees actively contribute to achieving our sustainability goals, and how will you support them in doing so?
Through participation in working groups, proactively approaching individual departments and constant communication. My door is always open for ideas and concerns.
