Our ongoing goal is to reduce our environmental footprint
At NBG, we take our role towards the environment very seriously and we are committed to undertaking initiatives and actions that contribute to reducing the impact of our operations.
We shall strive to attain a better future for all, by:
- improving the energy efficiency of our buildings
- saving energy and natural resources
- efficient management of paper and solid waste
- rationalizing business travel and encouraging the use of public transport
- strengthening the environmental awareness of staff
Recycling programs - paper and solid waste management
As part of the implementation of our Environmental Management System, for more than ten years we have been implementing recycling programs in cooperation with licensed bodies and with the active participation of our employees and customers.
The programs include:
- Lamp recycling
Over 15 tonnes of lamps have been recycled in the last decade.
(762 kg of lamps recycled in 2020).
- Recycling of portable (small) batteries
Over the last decade, more than 48 tonnes of (small) batteries have been recycled (2,457 kg of batteries recycled in 2020).
- Recycling of Electrical and Electronic Equipment
More than 1,600 tonnes of EEE have been recycled in the last decade.
(212 tonnes of EEE recycled in 2020).
- Paper recycling
More than 3,421 tonnes of paper have been recycled over the last decade.
(51 tonnes of paper recycled in 2020).
In addition, we have taken the following actions:
Recycling/reuse of ink cartridges
Through our Managed Print Services (MPS) system, we have centralized printing operations across the entire network of branches and administration buildings in order to reduce printing/operational costs. The system also includes environmentally friendly management (recycling/reuse) of ink cartridges.
In the last decade, 45,000 toner items were recycled, and 10,106 appliances and furniture were donated for reuse, contributing to the circular economy (3,571 tonnes of toner recycled and 364 appliances and furniture donated in 2020).
Recycling program (paper, aluminum, plastic
We launched a program for recycling materials we use in our daily lives in 2021.
To this end we have installed recycling bins in 10 buildings where many of the Bank's Units are housed, with individual spaces for the following three materials:
- Paper
- Aluminum
- Plastic
The contents of the bins are collected by a specially certified company, which undertakes recycling separately for each material.
Initiative to Support Volunteer Forest Firefighter Teams
With climate change today being the most important environmental challenge of our time, National Bank of Greece undertakes key initiatives and projects with a positive environmental impact as part of its ongoing effort to promote sustainable growth and corporate social responsibility.
In this context we join forces with the Athina I. Martinou Foundation and John S. Latsis Public Benefit Foundation to support the program launched in April 2022 that works alongside the Non-Profit Foundation Desmos, WWF Greece and HIGGS (Higher Incubator Giving Growth & Sustainability), offering support to volunteer forest firefighter teams across Greece through to 2024.
The support initiative focuses on two parallel actions:
a) the material support of 50 volunteer teams across the country in equipment, which will be selected on the basis of specific evaluation criteria and
b) forest fire-fighting training by means of specialized workshops.
The training program concerns all volunteer forest firefighter teams that operate in all 13 Regions of the country, placing emphasis on specific areas with a history of forest fires and a strong presence of volunteer groups, and it is carried out by qualified experts with many years of experience in the field.
