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Every year, the myClimate Foundation organises the Energy and Climate Workshop, a Swiss country-wide project competition for apprentices..

..that focuses on climate protection and energy efficiency. In 2018, Griesser challenged their apprentices by launching their own energy challenge. A look back at a year replete with innovations.

No less than 24 apprentices from six different professions participated in Griesser's “Company Challenge” with an eye to winning the Energy and Climate Workshop competition. As part of this competition, the myClimate Foundation provided a training programme in which apprentices were able to implement concrete and innovative projects on climate protection, energy efficiency and sustainability in their host company.

The young apprentices spent six months working intensively and actively on climate protection. They developed practical ideas and projects that will have a lasting impact on their own work, such as paperless production, reducing the use of plastic cups and reducing electricity and water consumption.

Work on the projects lasted until spring when they were presented, evaluated and rewarded at an internal awards ceremony. And the result is impressive. Several effective environmental projects have been successfully developed and implemented:

• Water conservation
  The objective of the "Water saving" project is to reduce CO2 emissions and costs through optimised transport. Routes and means of transport are analysed and solutions are provided.

• Going digital
  The aim is to reduce the consumption of paper in a department. This should be achieved through an extension of the system. A digital filing system is used instead of folders.

• Paperless manufacturing
  Some paper is used during the product manufacturing process. The objective for the apprentice is to minimize the use. One solution is the use of electromagnetic power transfer technology (RFID).

• Reducing plastic cups
  Countless plastic cups are used in offices every year. In this project, bottles are made available to all employees. In addition, decanters and glasses are provided in meeting rooms to reduce the use of plastic cups and bottles.

The Griesser Manuel Keller, Luca Marti and Jelisej Tschan trio apprentices won first place in the final Swiss myClimate competition in the "energy" category with the project "Water saving". Third place went to the Carina Wegmüller, Simon Liechti, Ramon Eberle and Fabio Angst working group for the theme "Reducing plastic cups". Many hoped for such results, but few really expected it. The joy of success is tremendous and it is the confirmation of a commitment to a good cause.