From the factory to the forest
Speira concludes cooperation agreement with the German Forest Protection Association in Grevenbroich
Today, no industrial company can avoid the obligation of sustainability. In fact, the corresponding German term “Nachhaltigkeit” comes from forestry and means not cutting down more trees than can re-grow. Of course, this is not the only connection between the aluminium recycler Speira and the German Forest Protection Association („Schutzgemeinschaft Deutscher Wald“, SDW), whose local chapter runs the 70,000 square metre wildlife reserve in Grevenbroich Bend. The two partners have now signed a cooperation agreement.
“Preserving and maintaining the forest ecosystem and educating people about its conservation, utilisation and recreational functions – these are, of course, issues that we are happy to support wholeheartedly,” explains Reinhild Schmidt, Head of Strategic Operations at Speira and plant manager Grevenbroich. “However, we don't just want to support this work through pure sponsorship, we want to really get involved. Together with the SDW, we design specific forest conservation projects that we integrate into the planning of our vocational training programmes. And in the future, we also want to create opportunities for the entire workforce to work on a charitable project in our site’s community as part of a volunteer day.”
Educational initiatives that focus on sustainability and therefore resource conservation are a good fit for Speira. The aluminium group focuses entirely on recycling the versatile light metal – a process that requires up to 95 percent less energy and therefore produces up to 95 percent less CO2 than primary production, from which Speira withdrew at the end of last year with the phase-out of the smelter at the Rheinwerk in Neuss. “Being careful with the material we have and recycling it instead of using a lot of energy to produce new material – that's the circular economy that we want to drive forward,” says Schmidt.
“We are delighted to have Speira as a new partner. With their employees and, in particular, the trainees, we are not only gaining people who lend a hand, but also many multipliers who will pass on their new knowledge about forests as a protected resource,” says Martina Koch, chairwoman of the SDW Grevenbroich local association. Speira's sponsorship will feed into normal operating expenses for forest and animal care, but also into the maintenance and ongoing expansion of the “SDW Forest Mobile”. The box trailer contains informational material and specimens on native wildlife and the responsible treatment of nature. The Grevenbroich forest conservationists use it to take part in public and private events and visit kindergartens and schools.
Media contact:
Mauritz Faenger-Montag, Head of External Communications
T +49 2181 66-4918
E mauritz.faenger-montag@speira.com
About the German Forest Protection Association („Schutzgemeinschaft Deutscher Wald“, SDW):
The SDW is a nature conservation organisation that campaigns for the protection and preservation of forests. The SDW is particularly active in forest-related education and youth work, carries out a wide range of environment-related projects and realises tree planting projects throughout Germany. The SDW is divided into 15 regional associations, which in turn are organised into district and local associations. This includes the SDW Grevenbroich local association. More information at www.sdw-grevenbroich.de.