With over 9,000 program participants a year, IMD guests and staff drink a lot of coffee. Did you know that we sustainably source about 2 tons of coffee a year and even recycle the waste to make energy? IMD works with the city of Lausanne to transform coffee grinds and food waste into biogas, providing heat and electricity.
Look out for our new Sustainability@IMD bee logo around campus to learn more about our sustainability practices.
In the classroom, we encourage participants to practice responsible leadership and work toward a more sustainable world. On campus, we are also committed to ‘walking the talk’ through responsible sourcing, recycling and waste management.
Bees, which are in decline but essential to our ecosystems, are a powerful symbol of sustainability. IMD even sponsors several bee hives that produce IMD honey. That’s why a bee is featured on our Sustainability@IMD logo.
The kick-off featuring our sustainable coffee is only the first step of this communication initiative. Over the years IMD has put in place many other initiatives to reduce our environmental footprint. Our bee logo will highlight these efforts around campus, bringing attention to IMD’s sustainable practices.
Here are some examples of other initiatives:
- The Maersk Mc-Kinney Moller Center, IMD’s newest building, is heated and cooled geothermally. The ecologically sensitive and energy-efficient design sets an environmentally conscious standard for future IMD facility projects.
- IMD has a sustainable procurement policy to support and facilitate the purchase of products, services and materials that minimize harmful effects to the environment.
- IMD’s suppliers for office items from stationery to hand soap and printing ink to furniture have sustainable certifications, such as ISO 9001 and 14001, GOTS, OEKO-TEX, Rainforest Alliance, and FSC Recycling. IMD’s catering contractor, Novae, buys local products in accordance with its purchasing charter with IMD.
- IMD swapped a number of our stationary and office supplies, including highlighters, pens, and markers, with “green” products. We aim to have a third of our products by value certified green in 2019, up from 28 percent in 2018.
- IMD uses 18,000 lanyards per year for events and programs. We have replaced the lanyards with new sustainable versions made with recycled PET (RPET). The sourcing of these lanyards was changed from China to Europe to reduce the impact of shipping on the environment.
- All auditoriums and buildings are equipped with waste bins that make it easy to sort trash into recyclables and non-recyclables.
- We send old smartphones to Revendo, a start-up based in Switzerland, which focuses on the recycling and reuse of Apple and Android products.
- To reduce electrical use, personal computers and audio-visual equipment are automatically turned off after periods of non-use.
- Our newly renovated café serves Solaris organic tea, which is committed to sustainable practices, as well as organic Fairtrade/Max Havelaar coffee.
- The restaurant removed water bottles from the tables, replacing them with water poured from fountains. Plastic takeaway dishes at the coffee stations and in the restaurant are being replaced with dishes made with biodegradable material.
- IMD has chosen a new dry-cleaning service provider that uses non-polluting products. The method uses less water and energy than traditional methods and the products used are biodegradable.
- Used furniture is given a second life with non-profit organizations in Lausanne and also with Gymnase Auguste Picard, the school located next to IMD.
It takes a community to change behaviors and make a difference. We encourage you to share your ideas at [email protected]
