Last year, the largest cooperative in the Unimed system was able to save nearly 5 tons of waste through recycling and input management actions
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), environmental health is characterized by all aspects of human health, including those movements that directly affect people’s quality of life. For many years, climate change, the environment and consumption habits have had serious consequences for human health. Thus, Central National Unimed seeks to invest in practices that can contribute to improving the environment and health, not only of its beneficiaries, but of the population in general. For this purpose, Unimed System’s largest collaborative believes in the power of sustainability for a more harmonious existence and each reinforces the brand’s commitment to actions that generate strong results, whether with waste management, resource savings, emissions control or returns.
“At Central Nacional Unimed, we are all driven in favor of health. With the arrival of the pandemic, the community has ramped up its view of organizations’ dedication to implementing better environmental, social and governance practices, in line with the ESG (English acronym for Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance) concept for us. , this has been a non-negotiable path for many years and we are proud to implement pioneering actions in complementary health and our operations, which daily educate more than 1,700 employees in our activities throughout Brazil.This is medical collaboration: a vector that works to positively modify society in search of Transfer procedures,” says Luiz Paulo Tostis Coimbra, CNU President.
With this vision, the production and distribution of traditional health insurance cards, made of PVC, a material that can take more than a hundred years to degrade in nature, was redefined in the CNU process. “This type of input represents the largest environmental impact associated with our business. We currently care for about two million people. The logic is very simple: if each of these people had this element and ignored it uncontrollably, we would have a profound impact on nature. It is urgent that we act on this Context “.
In an effort to reduce the environmental impact of issuing these cards, the company created a “Unimed Recycles” program, whereby CNU invests in a reverse logistics system and sends expired cards to the manufacturer for use in the production of new units, reducing the need to source raw materials from natural resources. Avoid generating waste.
In addition to alleviating the need to acquire new raw materials, the initiative avoids the generation of waste, as well as ensuring the security of customer data printed on cards, as the material is completely destroyed. “It is important to note that the fully accredited network of the cooperative accepts the virtual card, which is a digital copy of the customer’s identity, which can be easily accessed on smartphones,” says the president. With this initiative, only in 2020, the National Cooperative has saved more than R$130 thousand in the cycle of physical cards (handling, plastic and freight) and by July 2021, more than R$288,000 has also been saved. For the future, the goal is to promote national customer migration to this model.
Another measure that has a significant impact on the company is related to waste management. At the company’s headquarters in São Paulo, and in other CNU operations across Brazil, all waste arising from the company’s activities is monitored through legal documents, collected and divided between “non-recyclable” and “recyclable” as well as weight control. And the size of this group is implemented. With the awareness of employees and business partners, as well as the modernization of facilities and equipment, approximately 4.7 tons of various inputs were sent for recycling. All of these recycled materials prevent greenhouse gas emissions from occurring, a practice called carbon avoidance.
Virtual events, and other management activities in a remote pattern, have also had the effect of significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and the company has been awarded a carbon dioxide neutral seal for greenhouse gas emissions from its operations. The emissions were quantified and converted to CO2 equivalent, and compensated through financial support for Brazilian environmental projects, i.e. the purchase of carbon credits in the same proportion as the amount emitted.
From this perspective, best practices are shared with the team and everyone sees the mission of contributing to the success of the initiatives. “We act in a way that focuses on increasing employee awareness and disseminating information about the environment in which we live. This work is generating unprecedented results, which impact the work of CNU and the entire planet,” the president shares.
About Central National Unimed
Central Nacional Unimed is the national operator of business health plans for the Unimed brand and the sixth largest in the country by number of beneficiaries. It is part of the Unimed system, which consists of 345 medical cooperatives located in 84% of the national territory, which share the values of cooperation and work to value doctors and medicine. Its portfolio includes approximately 1.8 million customers of large national and multinational corporations, as well as products for small and medium-sized companies and regional focus in Salvador, Vieira de Santana, Santo Antonio de Jesus, Itapuna, Ilheus, São Luis, Brasilia and São Paulo. In addition to operating health plans at these locations, they are also responsible for complementing the unique portfolio of partners, in line with the overall business policies set for Unimed. With the aim of facilitating interoperability, establishing joint actions with Unimed do Brasil, Unimed Participações, Unimed Insurance and Unimed Foundation, aimed at strengthening the systemic governance and institutional presence of the brand, generating employment and income for its members, and interest in the franchise clients of Unimed. Central Nacional Unimed is still considered one of the best companies to work for (the 150 best companies to work for), to start a career (the best companies guide to start a career) and the best health service provider in 2020 (“best and biggest” ranking).
