As an industrial company with 11 sites around the world dedicated to the production of gelatin and collagen, we aim to conduct our operations in the most sustainable manner possible, and to make a positive contribution to the communities to which we belong. Here’s how our team at Rousselot Isle sur la Sorgue (ISS), France, are doing the job.
Cleaning the Sorgue River
June 4, 2022, was not the first time that Rousselot's employees, along with local residents and other companies, joined forces to rid the French river Sorgue of its waste. In 2021, our team already participated in this type of initiative with 200 volunteers, extracting over 2,5 tons of waste from the Sorgue. This year another 1,5 tons of waste were removed. The Sorgue runs through France’s Vaucluse Department. It flows over the Sorgue plain between L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue – where a Rousselot factory is located – and Avignon. It originates from the largest spring in France and the fifth biggest in the world.
“I was impressed by the variety of objects taken out of the Sorgue River, from very recent waste, which included the usual aluminum tins and plastic bottles to smartphones, Bluetooth speakers and lighters – and even objects from the past century, such as old bottles, pots, ceramics, scrap iron, and fishing nets. Clearly, dumping waste in nature is nothing new. Let’s hope that the next generations will know how to reverse the trend.”
Arnaud François, Electrical coordinator, Rousselot ISS
Helping schools educate children about the environment… with used containers!
Another example of how the Isle sur la Sorgue team is seeking to manage waste wisely is that the plant has decided to donate used chemical containers to the municipality. The containers will be put to good use at local schools to collect water from the roofs, which can then be used to water plants and trees in the playground.
This initiative is especially important for educating children and developing their environmental awareness. It also prevents waste, reduces our environmental impact and helps to preserve water.