Bæredygtighed er en af vejene til succes

Sustainability is a path to success

Et øget fokus på bæredygtighed vil styrke Herning og gøre kommunens virksomheder endnu mere konkurrencedygtige, siger direktøren for Bæredygtig Herning, Thea Lyng Thomsen. Hun brænder selv for at gøre en forskel, også i forhold til de små ting, man som privatperson kan bidrage med.

Af Anne Krøjgaard

Hun var selv 'grøn', længe før det blev moderne at være 'klimatosse' og har i mange år arbejdet med klima, miljø, energi og bæredygtighed fra begge sider af bordet. Derfor var det helt oplagt, at 41-årige Thea Lyng Thomsen søgte stillingen, da det netop oprettede bæredygtighedscenter, Bæredygtig Herning, søgte en direktør.

- Jeg har altid været meget bevidst om bæredygtighed, men er ikke den grønneste grønne. Jeg har det med hjemmefra i form af sådan noget med at slukke lyset, lukke for vandet og tænke over, hvad og hvor man handler. Eksempelvis vælger jeg gerne varer, der er lokalt produceret, siger Thea Lyng Thomsen og tilføjer, at hun uden at være fanatisk er blevet endnu mere bevidst om sine valg, efter hun er blevet mor. Fordi hun gerne vil aflevere en nogenlunde intakt jord til næste generation.

- Man kan flytte meget som enkelte individer ved almindelig sund fornuft. Det er bare væsentligt, at vi tager ansvaret for de nære ting på os. Når tingene så rækker længere ud og er svære for os at ændre som enkeltpersoner, må andre - på systemniveau - rykke ind. Og det er her, at eksempelvis Bæredygtig Herning kommer ind i billedet, siger hun.

Holder ikke uden bundlinje

Selvom bæredygtighed for mange lyder langhåret, dyrt og besværligt, er Thea Lyng Thomsen slet ikke i tvivl om, at det både er nødvendigt og et klogt træk. Og så er det hverken besværligt eller dyrt, lover hun.

- Mange mindre virksomheder gør allerede rigtig meget af det. De ser det ofte bare ikke som bæredygtighed, men mere som ordentlighed over for lokalmiljøet eller ganske enkelt en måde at spare på ressourcerne. Vi skal bare hjælpe dem til at blive mere bevidste om det, og gøre endnu mere af det, siger hun

- For mig handler bæredygtighed om at gøre sig konkurrencedygtig. Fordi kunderne i højere grad efterspørger det, og fordi det kan spare penge. Man kan blandt andet se på virksomhedens energiforbrug, indkøb eller spild. Her i området er der mange events og erhvervsturisme, måske kunne man på den front spare både penge og miljø ved at vælge fødevarer produceret lokalt, siger hun og understreger, at kunsten er at skabe bæredygtighed både økonomisk og for miljøet.

- Hvis der ikke er en god bundlinje i det, holder det ikke i virkeligheden. Så kan man ikke holde fast i det bæredygtige. Men der er altså mange gode eksempler på indsatser, der er bæredygtige – også økonomisk.

Bæredygtighed kan for Thea Lyng Thomsen også handle om partnerskaber, nye samarbejder og klyngesamarbejder.

Eksempelvis kan virksomheder undersøge, om nogen kan drage nytte af affald eller restprodukter.

Det kommer til at gå stærkt

Der er allerede mange virksomheder, uddannelsesinstitutioner og borgere i Herning Kommune, der arbejder ambitiøst og dygtigt med den bæredygtige dagsorden. Med Bæredygtig Herning er det visionen, at den bevægelse kommer til at accelerere. Både for de virksomheder, der allerede er i gang. For de, der synes, det er svært at tage hul på. Og for alle de virksomheder, der ligger midtimellem.

Og det har Thea Lyng Thomsen erfaring med. Hun har været en af de drivende kræfter i etableringen af GreenLab Skive, hvor hun har haft ansvar for kommunikation, innovation og samarbejder. Hun har været med til at etablere den grønne industripark på en bar mark, som i de seneste fem-syv år har tiltrukket investeringer for 1,6 mia. kroner til Skive.

- Derfor ved jeg, at projekter som disse, kan gå virkelig stærkt, når nogen sætter sig noget for og får det sat på skinner, ligesom vi gør med Bæredygtig Herning. Det er vigtigt at bygge fundamentet ordentligt og tøjle sin utålmodighed en smule i starten. For når fundamentet er på plads, kan det virkelig rykke, siger hun og fastslår, at Herning altid har været med forrest på en lang række områder. Derfor tvivler hun ikke på, at man på den bæredygtige front kan komme til at tage førertrøjen.

- Herning vil naturligvis også her stræbe efter at ligge i front; og det vil helt klart styrke Herning. Generelt er man gode til at samarbejde i området. Det skal vi også til at gøre inden for bæredygtighed; så tror jeg på, at det kommer til at gå stærkt, fordi samarbejdskulturen er så stærk. Bæredygtighed kommer til at give et kæmpestort løft til Herning, siger hun.

An increased focus on sustainability will strengthen Herning and make its companies even more competitive, says director of Bæredygtig Herning, Thea Lyng Thomsen. She is passionate about making a difference, even down to those small things that every individual can do.

By Anne Krøjgaard

She was 'green' long before it was trendy to be a climate activist, and she has worked in climate, environment, energy and sustainability on both sides of the table for many years now. That is why when the newly-established sustainability centre, Bæredygtig Herning, announced it was looking for a director it was obvious that 41-year-old Thea Lyng Thomsen should apply for the position.

- I have always been very conscious of sustainability but I’m still not perfect. At home, I was taught things like switching off lights, turning off taps and thinking about what you buy and where you buy it from. So, I tend to choose products that are produced locally, says Thea Lyng Thomsen. She adds that she has become even more conscious of her choices since becoming a mother, but she’s not obsessive about it. She does, however, want to hand over a fairly intact earth to the next generation. - We, as individuals, can have a big impact on the situation just by using our common sense. Simply put, it is important that we take responsibility for the things that we can control. Then, when it comes to the things that are more abstract and harder for us to change as individuals, others will have to take over to affect change at a system level. And this is where organisations like Bæredygtig Herning comes in, she says.

Not realistic without a baseline

Even though sustainability sounds very complicated, expensive and difficult to a lot of people, Thea Lyng Thomsen has no doubt that it is both necessary and the only smart move. And it’s not difficult or expensive, she promises.

- Many smaller companies are already doing a lot. Often, they just don’t think of it as sustainability, but more like being responsible to the local community, or just an easy way to save resources. We simply have to help them become more conscious about it, and to do even more, she says.

- To me sustainability is about becoming more competitive. Because there is an increasing demand for it from customers and also because it saves money. Among other things, take a look at your company’s energy consumption, procurement or waste. Take this area, for example, there are many events and a lot of business tourism here, and in that respect, you could perhaps both save money and help the environment by choosing products that are locally produced, she says. She also highlights that the arts often create sustainability financially and environmentally.

- If it doesn’t deliver a healthy bottom line, it will never hold up in the real world. And if that’s the case, the sustainability won’t stick. But there are many good examples of efforts that are also sustainable from a financial point of view.” To Thea Lyng Thomsen, sustainability is about partnerships, new collaborations and cluster collaborations. For instance, companies might look into whether they can find a use for waste or residual products.

It will accelerate quickly

There are already many companies, educational institutions and citizens in the Municipality of Herning that are working ambitiously and skilfully on the sustainable agenda. At Bæredygtig Herning the vision is that this change will accelerate. It will for companies that are already working on sustainability, as well as for companies that are finding it a bit difficult to get started. And, of course, the same will be true for those companies that find themselves somewhere in between. And Thea Lyng Thomsen has the experience to back this up. She was one of the driving forces behind establishing GreenLab Skive, where she was responsible for communication, innovation and collaborations. She was involved in starting the green industrial park on a disused field, which over a period of 5-7 years has attracted investments of 1.6 billion kroner for Skive.

- This is why I know that projects like these can accelerate really quickly when somebody puts their mind to it and get things going, like we are doing with Bæredygtig Herning. It is important to build the proper foundations and have some patience in the beginning. Because once the foundation is there, it can really change things,” she says. She explains that Herning has always been at the forefront in many areas, so she has no doubt that Herning can also lead when it comes to sustainability.

- Herning will, of course, strive to be at the forefront in this area as well; and doing so will, in turn, definitely strengthen Herning itself. Generally, there is a good track record with collaborating in the area. We will follow the same pattern with sustainability; so, I also believe that it will be a fast process, given that the collaborative culture is so strong. Sustainability will give Herning a giant boost, she says.

Svend Aage Færch Nielsen

BÆREDYGTIG HERNING

Sustainable Herning

Bag Bæredygtig Hernings bestyrelse sidder et bæredygtighedsråd, som er sammensat af en bred palet af personer fra uddannelsesinstitutioner, virksomheder, interesseorganisationer og studerende, som blandt andet kan komme med input til emner, de gerne vil have behandlet. Svend Aage Færch, direktør for Egetæpper, er formand for bestyrelsen, mens byrådspolitiker for Konservative og 2. viceborgmester i Herning Kommune Rasmus Norup er næstformand.

Herning Kommune har valgt at afsætte 5 mio. om året til arbejdet med bæredygtighed i kommunen. Det er denne aftale, der ligger bag etableringen af Bæredygtig Herning, som skal varetage erhvervsaktiviteter, erhvervsservice og erhvervsudvikling indenfor området bæredygtighed. Virksomheder kan være medlem af Bæredygtig Herning og få hjælp til bæredygtig udvikling, eksempelvis konkrete projekter, hvor man er usikker på, hvordan eller hvad man kan gøre – eller hvordan man overhovedet kommer i gang.

Med Bæredygtig Herning skabes et netværk på tværs af brancher, hvor virksomhederne kan inspirere hinanden, da der vil være mange overordnede fællestræk og udfordringer der ligner hinanden, når man arbejder med bæredygtighed.

Områdets uddannelsesinstitutioner og kommunen skal også kunne sparre med bæredygtighedscentret, lige som det har en rolle i folkeoplysning for borgerne.

Behind Bæredygtig Herning’s board is a sustainability council composed of a broad palette of people from educational institutions, companies, social partners and students. Among other things, these people can offer their input on topics they would like to be brought forward. Svend Aage Færch, director of Egetæpper, is the president of the board, while city council politician for the Conservative People’s Party and 2nd vice mayor of the Municipality of Herning, Rasmus Norup, is the deputy chair.

The Municipality of Herning has chosen to set aside 5 million kroner a year for working on sustainability in the municipality. It is this agreement that is behind the foundation of Bæredygtig Herning, which works with business activities, business services and business development within the area of sustainability. Companies can be a member of Bæredygtig Herning and get help with sustainable development, such as advice on specific projects that they aren’t sure how to get going with.

With Bæredygtig Herning we create a network across industries, where companies can inspire each other, because we often come across similar opportunities and challenges when working with sustainability.

The area’s educational institutions and the municipality will be able to work with the sustainability centre. However, it also has an informative role with citizens.

Nyt liv til kunstgræs

New life for artificial grass

Foto: Re-Match

Ω Re-Match

Kunstgræs er blevet populært. Ifølge The Global Market for Artificial Turf stiger efterspørgslen på kunstgræs med omkring 11 procent årligt. Men hvad gør man lige med kunstgræsbanen, når den efter cirka ti år skal skiftes ud?

Det har Re-Match i Herning fundet det bæredygtige svar på. ReMatch har udviklet en metode til fuldstændig genanvendelse af kunstgræsbaner. Virksomheden renser og separerer kunstgræsbanerne, så alle materialer kan genanvendes til fremstilling af nye kunstgræsbaner eller andre formål.

En rapport udarbejdet af Rambøll bekræfter, at kunstgræspladser kan genbruges til næsten 100%, og at den mest miljøeffektive måde er at skabe en fuldt cirkulær sløjfe med et minimum af affald. Den turf-recycling virksomhed, der i rapporten viste den bedste samlede præstation, var Re-Match.

Re-Match blev stiftet i 2013 af idémand Dennis Andersen og CEO Nikolaj Magne Larsen, og idéen kom netop fra en cirkulær tankegang. For når man laver kunstgræs af gummi fra brugte dæk, har man en løsning på, hvad man gør af brugte dæk. Men medmindre man formår at genbruge kunstgræsbanen, når den er udtjent, har man i bund og grund ikke løst problemet, men blot forlænget gummiens levetid.

- Vores drøm er to ting: At løse et kæmpe affaldsproblem, som der endnu ikke har været ordentlig fokus på, og at lave en profitabel forretning ud af det, har direktør Nikolaj Magne Larsen fortalt i et interview med Danmarks Grønne Investeringsfond. En kunstgræsbane holder i 10 år, og man forventer, at der skal udskiftes 30 millioner m2 kunstgræs hvert år alene i Europa, Mellemøsten og Østasien. Derfor er potentialet for forretningen - og effekten på miljøet - enorm.

Virksomheden er placeret i Herning, og har i dag fabrik i Holland, ligesom man er i gang med planlægningen af en fabrik i Frankrig, der skal imødekomme et stigende behov for en bæredygtig løsning til håndtering af udtjent kunstgræs i Frankrig, Schweiz, Østrig, Sydtyskland og Norditalien. - Vi er glade for at tage dette næste skridt på vores vækstrejse og komme ind på det franske marked som har mere end 4000 installerede kunstgræsbaner, siger Re-Match, bestyrelsesformand Laurits Bach Sørensen.

Re-Matchs langsigtede internationale strategi indebærer opførelse af avancerede, digitaliserede fabrikker flere steder i Europa og Nordamerika - alle med kapacitet til at genbruge 250 fulde fodboldbaner - svarende til 350 millioner plastposer - hvert år.

Artificial grass has become very popular. According to The Global Market for Artificial Grass, demand will increase by around 11 percent annually. But what do you do when an artificial grass court has to be changed after ten years?

Re-Match in Herning has found the sustainable answer to this. They have developed a way to completely reuse artificial grass fields, recycling all the materials to manufacture new artificial grass fields or for other purposes.

A report from Rambøll confirms that almost 100% of artificial grass fields can be reused, and that the most environmentally-friendly way to do that is to create a fully circular loop with a minimum of waste. The grass recycling company that was shown to have the best overall performance in the report was Re-Match.

Re-Match was founded in 2013 by idea man Dennis Andersen and CEO Nikolaj Magne Larsen, and the idea was indeed based on a circular approach. Because when you make artificial grass out of rubber from used tyres, you have found a solution for what to do with used tyres. But unless you manage to recycle the artificial grass court at the end of its life, you have essentially not solved the problem, but just prolonged the rubber’s lifespan.

- Our dream comprises two things: solving a giant waste issue that has not yet had the necessary attention given to it; and, making a profitable business out of it, director Nikolaj Magne Larsen said in an interview with the investment fund Danmarks Grønne Investeringsfond.

An artificial grass field lasts for ten years, and you expect to have to change 30 million square metres of artificial grass every year in Europe, the Middle East and East Asia alone. Therefore, the business potential is enormous, as is the impact on the environment.

The company is located in Herning, and currently has a plant in The Netherlands. They have started plans for a plant in France that will cater to the increasing need for a sustainable solution to handling end-of-life artificial grass in France, Switzerland, Austria, Southern Germany, and Northern Italy.

- We are happy to be taking the next step on our journey by entering the French market, which has more than 4,000 artificial grass fields in place, says chairman of the Re-Match board, Laurits Bach Sørensen.

Re-Match’s long-term international strategy involves establishing advanced, digitalised plants in several places within Europe and North America, all with the capacity to recycle 250 full football fields, which corresponds to 350 million plastic bags every year.