Helvetia Environnement, a Swiss company that collects and recycles industrial and household waste, has successfully acquired B Corp certification. The demanding process of achieving this comprehensive certification was facilitated by management consulting firm dss+.

Carouge-based Helvetia was founded in 2005 and grew rapidly after consolidating two other waste collection companies. With sustainability being a main concern in the very nature of their business, the company (550+ staff) began to aspire to B Corp certification, a marker of elevated social and environmental sustainability, accountability, and transparency.

Helvetia approached dss+ for leadership in the project to attain the certification. After fully assessing the recycling company’s business model and strengths, dss+ was able to tackle the extensive data collection required to achieve the certification.

The process of certification included engagement with over 20 stakeholders at all levels, across 9 different brands and entities over 30 months. Another requirement was identifying essential measures to accelerate Helvetia’s contribution to a more sustainable economy.

The B Corp certification confirms Helvetia’s pioneering role in the recycling industry in Switzerland, where the company has invested more than 150 million Swiss francs (€153 million) over the past decade. The company has also invested in the first high-performance waste processing facility in the Geneva canton, as well as revamping its fleet with electric and biofuel-powered vehicles.

Switzerland is a world leader in recycling and was one of the first countries to achieve high rate of recycling. Around half of all waste produced in Switzerland ends up being recycled and the country was the first to implement a nation-wide e-waste recycling system.

Global consulting firm dss+ (formerly known as DuPont Sustainable Solutions) specialises in environment, health and safety, operations management, and sustainability services. For its work at Helvetia Environnement, the firm brought together experts from its latter two businesses to provide for an integral approach.

“dss+ has allowed us to transform a desire into a project and then a project into a reality! The collaboration with dss+ has facilitated and accelerated our journey towards B Corp certification,” said Bertrand Guyard-Lasne, Director of Sustainability & Digital Transformation at Helvetia.