Commitment to sustainability Our Sustainability Ambassador Jennifer Hoecker
One of these ambassadors is Jennifer Hoecker, Head of Collection Systems at Interzero Product Cycle GmbH in Melle. Jenny and her team are responsible for acquiring new customers and supporting existing ones with the collection of empty printer cartridges and used smartphones. She also heads up the Customer Service department and is responsible for commercial invoicing and the logistics associated with incoming cartridges.
Jenny, what motivated you to become a Sustainability Ambassador?
Jennifer Hoecker: I get the feeling that many people think that to live sustainably you have to radically change your life by going vegan or giving up air travel, but that’s certainly not feasible for me. Instead, it’s as simple as adjusting lots of little things in your everyday life and making environmentally-friendly decisions. As Sustainability Ambassadors, we have the ability to drive change and raise awareness within our company.
What is your favourite project?
Jennifer Hoecker: As I look at things from a sales perspective, I’m trying to network our departments more closely with each other. My main focus in this area is on Sustainability Week, where different sites, departments and employees interact to share ideas and best practices for embedding sustainability even more effectively into our everyday working lives.
What is at the top of your wish list as a Sustainability Ambassador at the Melle site?
Jennifer Hoecker: We have a huge volume of cardboard and packaging, so optimisation and, specifcally, optimising the shipping process are topics close to our heart. We want to encourage our customers to use their own packaging to reduce the number of new cardboard boxes required. My wish list also includes creating a paperless office and getting rid of our plastic water bottles.
What role does sustainability play in your life?
Jennifer Hoecker: My view of the world has changed since I became a mother. I now think much more about the kind of world I want to leave behind for my children. It’s important to me to make sure we still have a liveable environment in the future. There is so much greenwashing these days that I’m often unsure who and what I can still believe. Take fashion, for example. I worked in the fashion industry for many years, and although I love it, I’m horrified by how it has changed in recent years. I now try to shop more consciously for myself and my family by looking out for more sustainable brands, visiting flea markets and buying second-hand items.
You can read more about the Sustainability Ambassadors in our Sustainability Magazine.
