Our Sustainability Promise

Our Sustainability Promise

What is CSR about ?

The CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) refers to all the practices put in place by companies so as to match the sustainable development principles, i.e.:

This concept has rapidly become a significant concern of companies during the past years. The current climate crisis requires indeed a rapid and global change. Companies must choose to implement energy and digital transition, and this must be in line with a sustainable progress.

The Beginnings of our CSR Strategy

It all started with the certificate of commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility delivered by the French Union of Metallurgy Industries (UIMM):

Hervé Revel receiving the certificate of commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility at a UIMM ceremony

The second step consisted in analyzing the evolution of our CO₂ emissions based on the carbon assessments carried out:

• Confirmation of the breakdown of our emissions across the different scopes
  
  
• We are continuing our carbon footprint calculations and are continuing to study and implement measures to reduce our carbon footprint, particularly in scopes 1 and 2. 

In the words of the Carbon Project Manager

 

The previous carbon assessment enabled us to implement concrete actions to reduce our environmental impact.

As part of our commitment, we have reduced our energy consumption, resulting in a 31% decrease in Scope 1 greenhouse gas emissions and a 37% decrease in Scope 2 emissions compared to 2015.

This reduction is the result of several actions, such as the installation of heat pumps, the insulation of administrative buildings, the replacement of lighting with LED bulbs, and the implementation of an energy efficiency policy.

We are moving in the right direction and continue to implement actions to achieve our greenhouse gas emissions reduction target.

Clara Arnaud, Quality & Environment Department

Our CSR Commitments

The REP road map encompasses multiple commitments

In the words of the Quality Manager

The REP CSR commitments aim at integrating social, environmental and ethical issues into the company's global strategy.
Some criteria common to CSR and to the ISO9001 certification, such as:

• The recognition of the stakeholders' interest,
• The employees' involvement,
• A continuous improvement,

structure our strategy and ensure a more qualitative management.

Catherine Nguyen, CEO Executive Assistant

REP is committed to reducing its CO₂ emissions, whatever their origins are.

REP is bound by the "Décret tertiaire" (French tertiary sector decree) which coerces administrative buildings to reduce their energy consumption by 30% by 2030 in comparison with a chosen reference year (for REP: 2015).

The renovation projects presented below are aimed at reducing the site's energy consumption.

Projects carried out

Replacement of glazing in a wing of the administrative building

Replacement of single-glazed aluminum frames with double-glazed aluminum frames with thermal break.

Relamping of the manufacturing workshop

Replacement of 921 fluorescent tubes of 120 W each (110 kWh) by 601 LED strip lights of 55 W each (35 kWh).

The expert's opinion

The estimated electricity consumption reduction target for this work is 80 MWh/year (estimate based on 10 hours of lighting per day over 50 weeks of 5 days).

Stéphane Clair, Maintenance and Saftey Manager

Projects under study

Exterior insulation of the administrative buildings

The project is about the reinforced insulation of the administrative buildings frontages, with a thermal coefficient of R=3.70 m²K/W.

The expert's opinion

 

The estimated electricity consumption reduction target for this work is 56 MWh/year. This represents 25% of the estimated electric heating consumption per year (16% of the total consumption of 2022 – source visite énergie CCI).

Stéphane Clair, Maintenance and Saftey Manager

 

Reduction of Water Consumption

Installation of a closed-loop circulation system for machines cooling (read article on Ecodesign)

Use of Low-Carbon Energy

REP is examining the possibility of installing photovoltaic panels (estimates are underway).

Solar energy is a clean, renewable source of energy that helps the company reduce its environmental impact while helping to combat climate change.
This will enable REP to save on its energy bill by producing part of the energy needed for its business. Since 2023 this action is already mandatory for the new buildings (climate and resilience law)

• Study for the installation of photovoltaic panels: there are two possible options: either solar canopies on the staff parking lot, or ground-mounted panels with a surface area of around 2,370 m², representing an estimated production equal to 26% of our annual electricity consumption.
  
  

• Study for conservation grazing: the idea is to use sheep to limit the use of combustion engines to maintain green spaces.

   

The Impact of Digital Transformation

Limiting the Use of Paper

Since the migration to the Sylob ERP, the printing and archiving process for many documents has been abandoned, resulting in a significant reduction in paper consumption.

Under study:

The expert's opinion

 

For example, over a period of one year and a half, around 10,000 orders were placed without needing to be printed or physically archived.
This decision is part of REP's eco-friendly approach for reducing its environmental impact by limiting the use of non-renewable natural resources.

Jean-Christophe Boffet, Digital Transformation Manager

 

Reduction of carbon footprint related to commutings

The objectives

Durability of the REP machines

The rubber injection molding machines are well known for their longevity, able to exceed 40 years of use without requiring major replacements on condition that a preventive maintenance is carried out frequently. This feature is highly appreciated by customers, as it enables them to benefit from a long-term return on investment.

The expert's opinion

 

It is important to mention that we propose a rebuild offer with retrofitting of the switch cabinet for the oldest machines in order to maintain their performance and safety.

This contributes to reducing environmental impact by minimizing the production of waste materials, as well as reducing volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

Jocelyn Dupuy, Group After-Sales Service Manager

 

Decreasing the Energy Consumption of the Machines

The pre-delivery inspection process includes temperatures control.

This control requires a significant water consumption which is then not recycled. We intend to collect water through the creation of a closed-loop circulation system with cooling through a heat pump.

In winter, the heat generated by the cooling group could be reused for heating.

(Re)Design to Cost

The "(Re)Design to Cost" (RTC) concept is an approach aiming at diminishing the production costs by redefining the design of a product or process. REP is adopting this Design to Cost approach for the next generation of machines.

The idea is to reassess the materials and processes related to materials manufacturers, material suppliers and subcontractors.

Solutions for Energy Efficiency

REP develops advanced technologies for saving energy, space and costs

The SDD or SMP solutions for motor and pump drives represented a major technological advance for REP.

These solutions allow to reduce drastically the energy consumption: 70% energy savings on presses since their use in 2010, with enhanced reliability and ease of maintenance.

The ServoDive&Drive pump unit (OP276) and the Servo-Motor driven Pump unit (OP270) solutions are optional equipment. They optimize machine energy consumption, helping to reduce production costs and environmental impact.

By adding another option (OP271 energy counter), the customers can also know their exact energy gain via the different energy counters.

Development of Circular Economy

Rubber waste recycling

See our HSR rubber recycling offer

REP has designed a machine using the patented HSR process.

The purpose of HSR (High Shear Regeneration) consists in devulcanizing rubber waste and reintroduce it into the production chain.

The expert's opinion

 

This patented process applies to any kind of uncontaminated rubber production waste. Once the compound is devulcanized, it is reintegrated into the basic compound.

This results in significant savings on both compound and waste disposal costs. This is a 100% thermo-mechanical process without adding any further substances or chemical agents and is performed at low temperature, in order to prevent the characteristics of the devulcanized rubber from being altered.

Rodrigo DIAZ, R&D Process and Application Engineer

Advantages:  Reduction of compound costs and elimination of waste disposal costs

Through an Ethics and CSR Charter 

We require our suppliers to sign our Ethics and CSR Charter, whereby they commit to complying with the social and environmental principles set out therein. This approach aims to address the concerns of our customers and partners regarding the origin, nature, and impact of the components used in our presses.

We created a questionnaire for assessing the presence of Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC) at our usual suppliers' site.

In order to reinforce our commitment to transparency and accountability, we have also decided to include a specific section in our ERP supplier registration form. The purpose of this section is to collect precise information about the possible presence of SVHCs in the products proposed by our suppliers.

REACH and CSR go hand in hand

The REACH regulation (Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals) as well as the CSR regulation (Corporate Social Responsibility) can be linked while selecting suppliers.

REACH is a EU legislation which aims at improving the protection of human health and environment against the risks related to chemical substances. It coerces companies to register, assess and take appropriate measures for reducing the risks related to the chemical substances used in their products. REACH also encourages companies to substitute the most concerning substances by safer alternatives whenever it is possible.

The expert's opinion

 

Among the SVHCs mentioned in the feedback received till now, lead appears as one of the most frequently mentioned substances, particularly in the electronics sector (electronic cards for REP). It is important to mention that the use of lead can be justified in some specific applications.

 

However, we highly encourage our suppliers to explore safer alternatives and work closely with the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) so as to ensure regulatory compliance. Thus, the next technical evolutions for G11 (11th machines generation) will have to take it into account. Managing SVHCs is a challenge, but we are sure that it is possible to adopt practices that respect the environment and health while keeping high quality standards.

 

The goal of our study is to better understand the situation about the SVHCs and take necessary measures for ensuring the safety of the products we propose to our customers.

Fanny Mulas, Supplying and Purchasing Manager

 

Promoting Local Sourcing

Since the last few years, REP mainly buys its components and raw materials in France and in Europe.

This local sourcing strategy, with almost 90% French suppliers, enables us to reduce CO2 emissions linked to the transport of goods and to promote the local economy by supporting French producers.

This facilitates the relations with the suppliers and ensures a better reactivity in case of need. This strategy is in line with the company's sustainable development objectives et testifies to its commitment in favor of green transition.

Drafting of an anti-corruption guide

The Loi Sapin II (Sapin II law) is a French law that has been promulgated on December 9, 2016 in order to reinforce transparency, the fight against corruption and the protection of whistleblowers.

Albeit not being specifically related to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), it can have significant implications in this field.

The greater protection for whistleblowers encourages the reporting of misconduct, which can help promote ethical and responsible practices within organizations.

We have drafted an anti-corruption guide for our staff and partners:

The expert's opinion

 

As far as CSR is concerned, the Loi Sapin II can have a significant impact on companies by encouraging them to adopt transparency and responsibility behavior. By strengthening anti-corruption obligations and promoting the introduction of preventive measures, the law encourages companies to implement socially responsible policies and practices.

Gabriel Sagne, Chief Financial Officer