BANGKOK, Thailand, August 2020
Yannix cares about what kind of world we will leave to future generations.
We have asked ourselves: Do we want to leave behind a world that is littered with pieces of plastic trash, or are we willing to step up and take the necessary action so that we can leave future generations a world that is largely free of pollution?
At Yannix, we cannot stand idly by and do nothing. It’s simply not in our nature to turn a blind eye toward our environment. That’s why Yannix develops and implements community based environmental programs with a focus on being a better neighbor and leader. The effort begins with our local community.
On a daily basis, Yannix strives to promote our efforts to interested, like-minded members of our community who wish learn more about the various environmental projects we’re undertaking at our facility.
Yannix aims to lead by example in a campaign to reduce waste of all kinds through our Zero Waste Initiative.
To start, we’ve asked ourselves the following questions:
1. Why does Yannix want to achieve a “Zero Waste” target by the end of 2020?
Those who remember the 80’s and 90’s in Thailand remember a time when more biodegradable wraps and bags such as banana leaves and paper bags were in use. Since then, plastic trash seems to be everywhere – from the roadsides to the canals and out into the ocean. Since it is not biodegradable, this ubiquitous plastic just lingers throughout the ecosystem without breaking down. Yannix is of the mind that a world littered with plastic trash is unacceptable.
2. How can Yannix achieve “Zero Waste” in 2020?
We began this process by sampling the waste produced by our company in order to categorize the types of waste. By identifying the different types of waste we generate we can determine how best to manage each category of waste. Once the various types of waste had been categorized we were able to come up with four different action points to address the waste: Reduce, Compost, Recycle, and Re-purpose.
Reduce: Yannix reduces the amount of waste we produce by reducing the use of paper around our offices and by purchasing products that have a lower waste footprint.
Additionally, we encourage employees to bring their own reusable cups and containers to use at the office in an effort to reduce employee waste.
Compost: Next, we separate out fresh waste for composting and make fertilizer for soil improvement on site.
Recycle: For waste that can be recycled, we clean it before it gets discarded so that it can be easily recycled. It should be noted that recyclers are somewhat limited in their ability to clean soiled materials. An unfortunate, and little known consequence of this limitation is that it often results in recyclers discarding these materials rather than recycling.
Next, we separate all recyclable materials into categories that local recyclers are willing to purchase. This gives us a sense of confidence that the recyclable waste will actually be recycled downstream rather than discarded in a landfill.
Re-purpose: Finally, for any waste materials that do not necessarily have existing avenues for recycling, Yannix has developed the capabilty to re-purpose this waste by shredding it and mixing it with cement in the creation of cement walkways and stepping stones around our offices. The shredded plastic and other materials makes the cement less brittle, which helps prevent the cement cracking over time. Not only does this effort keep waste that can be re-purposed out of landfills, but it also increases the lifespan and durability of the walkway.
3. What other eco-friendly initiatives does Yannix engage in?
At Yannix, we believe that an eco-friendly environment is also a healthy and productive environment for our employees. Not only are we reducing the waste footprint of our company, we’ve taken many other courses of action to make our local environment a better place:
• In the construction of our new Yannix Production Building, we used energy efficient, architectural design principles. We utilized energy-efficient insulating materials that afford us the ability to take advantage of passive solar cooling, which optimizes airflow around the facility. We achieved this solar cooling by building it over a pond, and pumping the naturally collected rainwater from the pond up to cool the roof of the building. This reduces the use of energy-consuming air conditioning throughout the day.
• We have created “green zones” where plants and nature are prevalent in our work environment, thus providing healthier work surroundings for our employees as well as helping to cool the building.
• We’ve tested many different types of computer systems, factoring in the energy footprint into our purchasing decisions in our procurement of workstations.
• We are working towards utilizing solar power generation to supplement our energy usage at the new Yannix Building.
• We provide two routes of Yannix Shuttle Buses that cater to employees who reside in close proximity to our offices. Employees are encouraged to use these shuttles when they come to work, and when they return home. This helps reduce the number of individual cars driven to, and from our offices daily.
• The Give It 2 Get It Program (G2G) is an employee-driven initiative to help make the world a better place. Yannix volunteers give back to our local communities and the environment through a series of monthly events where Yannix staff dedicate their time, energy, and resources to help all creatures, big and small.
Since Summer 2016, Yannix, through the G2G program, has been working locally on specific community and environmental development projects.
G2G encourages volunteerism by promoting the idea that Yannix employees need to get involved and support projects that benefit the environment and the local communities
For more on the G2G Program and for write-ups on past events please visit: https://jobs.yannix.com/yannix-csr/
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Through all of the measures outlined above, Yannix demonstrates in our daily operations, through efforts like the Zero Waste Initiative and Give It 2 Get It Program, that we are willing to take the necessary action to make Thailand and the world a better place now and for future generations.