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Dear Readers!
2018 has been an extraordinary year for our group. There have been some great business opportunities around – in the area of recycling as well as in the global market for mobility, both in the private and public transport sector. We have been able to make the most of these opportunities by taking steps to acquire DSD (Duales System Deutschland GmbH) – as has the RETHMANN Group, which is intending to purchase shares in Transdev, a leading global operator of mobility solutions based in France. Both transactions must still be approved by the rele-vant authorities.
As an operator and global integrator of mobility solutions, Transdev – “the mobility company” – provides eleven million passenger trips every day, connecting people and places with its efficient and environmentally friendly transport services. Transdev advises and collaborates with public authorities and private sector firms providing sustainable, safe and innovative transport solutions.
82,000 employees serve the company’s customers and passengers in 20 countries. In 2017, it generated a turnover of 6.6 billion euros. Transdev’s operations, however, not only include trains, trams and buses. People using the ferries in Sydney to get across Sydney Harbour are also Transdev’s customers. And the company’s portfolio also has cable car networks and auto-mated minibuses. With Transdev being so important for our family-run company, it makes absolute sense for the mobility group to become the RETHMANN Group’s fourth main field of business alongside REMONDIS, Rhenus and SARIA.
This past year has been one of the driest since records began in Germany. This has, on the one hand, led to the water levels of our rivers being much lower than normal – quite possibly the lowest levels ever – causing huge problems for inland shipping companies and their customers. On the other, it has once again turned the spotlight on the subjects of climate change and resource conservation. The Vatican is also worried about “our Common Home”. Pope Francis made it clear just how worried he is when he wrote his “Laudato si’” encyclical. REMONDIS joined a number of other family business owners to attend the first Roman Forum, which was held in the Holy City and organised by the BDE [Federal Association of the German Waste Management Industry]. During the event, the participants had a moving meeting with the Holy Father who was impressed by the initiatives of these privately run businesses to promote sustainability.
Talking about sustainability: Meyer Werft, a shipbuilding business in Papenburg, is also focusing on sustainable production activities – and on building environmentally friendly ships having recently launched its first gas-fuelled cruise ship. This traditional company is also being supported by REMONDIS. Heading for new shores together, so to speak.
May we take this opportunity to thank you for your great support and collaboration over the last twelve months and wish you a Merry Christmas and a happy, healthy and successful New Year.
Ihr Ludger Rethmann
Discussions among politicians, business leaders & trade association members
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This was the message that TSR Recycling and Scholz Recycling GmbH chose for their first joint Parliamentary Evening which was held in Berlin at the beginning of November. Their goal: to make politicians, industrial leaders and associations more aware of the urgent need to use recycled raw materials.
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There’s a price to pay for mining for raw materials
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Demand for raw materials is growing. The world’s population is expected to have exceeded the 10 billion mark by 2050 with per-capita raw material consumption increasing at an exponential rate. That’s the one side of the coin. On the other, we have our finite supplies of natural resources. This development is already having a huge impact on our environment: massive scars on our landscape and higher energy consumption are the high price we have to pay to extract and process raw materials. Which means we all have an obligation to handle natural resources more responsibly.
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The whole of society is responsible for recycling
“This obligation can only be met with systematic recycling,” explained Bernd Fleschenberg, managing director at TSR, and Dr Klaus Hauschulte, CEO of Scholz Recycling. United in their cause, these two managing directors made the most of this event – which took place under the patronage of German MP Dr Matthias Heider (CDU) – to make all those attending more aware of the responsibility society has when it comes to recycling. The guests: politicians, business leaders and representatives of trade associations. TSR and Scholz called for three concrete measures to promote the responsible handling of raw materials. “As far as politics is concerned, we believe there is a need for a national council that has the powers to create an economic and statutory framework to promote the use of recycled raw materials,” Bernd Fleschenberg continued.
In addition, both CEOs called for the EU’s Ecodesign Directive to be extended to include the subject of recyclability. At the moment, the regulations set out in the directive are, for the most part, limited to the energy efficiency of individual products. “If the requirements of a modern recycling industry are to be met, then products must be designed so that preferably all of the raw materials in the product can be recovered and fully recycled,” Bernd Fleschenberg said. Both TSR and Scholz are of the opinion that a think tank must be set up if this is to be achieved – a kind of round table that enables key players from the worlds of industry, science and recycling to put their heads together and come up with joint solutions.
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“As far as politics is concerned, we believe there is a need for a national council that has the powers to create an economic and statutory framework to promote the use of recycled raw materials.”
Bernd Fleschenberg, Managing Director at TSR Recycling
Looking at future raw material strategies
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The speech provided much food for thought as could be seen in the podium discussion that followed: politicians, business leaders and trade association members exchanged views on how Germany’s current raw materials strategy could be amended to ensure much greater volumes of recycled raw materials were used in the future. And the discussions continued during the get-together afterwards. With this evening proving to be such a success, a similar function has already been organised for January 2019. It was clear that Bernd Fleschenberg is looking forward to the upcoming event: “Federal Minister of the Environment Svenja Schulze has already agreed to take part in the podium discussion.”
Working together to promote recycling: Bernd Fleschenberg (Managing Director of TSR Recycling, far left) and Norbert Rethmann (Honorary Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the REMONDIS Group, far right) together with their fellow campaigners Dr Heider, Dr Hauschulte and H. Wilms