Car sharing is a cost-efficient solution for your company, even while social distancing is in place. Our online booking system also ensures optimum occupancy.

It's easy to ensure hygiene, too, because your smartphone doubles up as a car key and there are guidelines in place for disinfecting the car after use. The driving administration for each user allows us to track who has driven the car if someone is infected or falls ill.

What is car sharing?

Car sharing adds a new dimension to the concept of carpooling. You can manage corporate car sharing using a smart online platform and an innovative app. There's no need to hand over keys, as users open, start and lock cars using the Car Sharing app. Car sharing is a great example of smart sharing and flexible, sustainable mobility. As the employer, you can make cars available and decide which employees can use them.

How does car sharing work?

Book online

Car sharing lets you book a car anywhere, any time. We've developed an intuitive online booking system and a free Car Sharing app for Android and iOS. It takes seconds to book a car, whether you're at the computer or on your smartphone.

You open, start and lock the car using the app. Picking up and dropping off keys is a thing of the past. No smartphone? no problem – we'll give you a chip card.

No more paperwork

The app also makes sure that all data is carefully recorded and kept. Mileage and fuel consumption are automatically recorded after each trip, while users can report any damage quickly and accurately using the app.

Operational leasing is offered by Arval Belgium SA/NV, with the intervention of BNP Paribas Fortis SA/NV – Montagne du Parc/Warandeberg 3, B-1000 Brussels, Brussels Register of Companies VAT BE0403.199.702.
Promotion only available from Thursday 21 January up to and including Wednesday 31 March 2021 and is only available to professional clients (self-employed, liberal professionals and SMEs) of BNP Paribas Fortis and Fintro.
The information provided here does not constitute an offer. An offer is made only after your file has been accepted and is always subject to Arval Belgium SA/NV's General Terms and Conditions.

Sustainability isn't a hype – it's a must. The transition is also in full swing in terms of mobility. With bicycle leasing, you offer your employees a high-quality bicycle package and choose a more sustainable mobility offer. And it's tax efficient.

Cycling to work is popular

Not only our way of working has become hybrid; so too has the way we travel to work. More and more people are seeing the benefits of cycling to work, whether or not electric. An e-bike or speed pedelec is no longer just a gadget. Thanks to these, you can now comfortably cycle longer distances. So, bicycles are certainly part of a sustainable mobility policy. Bicycle leasing allows you to offer your employees a healthy and sporty option that reduces your organisation’s carbon footprint.

How does bicycle leasing work?

Bicycle leasing is much more than just financing bicycles. Maintenance, repairs, breakdown service and insurance are all included in the package. With Bike Lease, our mobility partner Arval offers an operational, full-service solution for 36 months. With over 120 brands and all types of bicycles, the range is extensive: city bikes, sports bikes, e-bikes, speed pedelecs, mountain bikes, folding bikes, etc. Your employees choose the bicycle that suits them best. An annual maintenance budget is provided for maintenance and repair by professionals. Bike Lease also includes indemnity for accidents, theft and vandalism of the bicycle with a fixed excess based on the value of the lease bike. And finally, a 24/7 breakdown service is provided within 45 minutes, anywhere in Belgium.

Good for everyone

Including bicycles in your mobility offer offers both your company and your employees many advantages.

• Tax-efficient

The leasing costs are deductible for your company if your employees use their bikes to commute. By using this bike to commute, they avoid a taxable benefit in kind.

• Healthy

Cycling makes healthier and fitter employees who suffer less from stress. And your company benefits from this as well.

• Affordable

A bicycle is a cheaper alternative or complement to a company car for short to medium-distance trips. You save on fuel, maintenance and parking costs. It also allows you to offer mobility to a wider target group.

• Flexible

Once your employees have chosen a type of bicycle, they decide for themselves when they pedal to work. Through all kinds of weather, when the sun is shining or when there are too many traffic jams and a bicycle is the perfect alternative to a car. They can also enjoy their bikes in their free time.

• Sustainable

A bicycle has of course a low ecological footprint and fits perfectly in a sustainable mobility policy. By offering your employees a bicycle, your company emits less CO₂ and your organisation becomes more socially responsible.

Operational leasing is offered by Arval Belgium SA/NV, with the intervention of BNP Paribas Fortis SA/NV – Montagne du Parc/Warandeberg 3, B-1000 Brussels, Brussels Register of Companies VAT BE0403.199.702.
The information provided here does not constitute an offer. An offer is made only after your file has been accepted and is always subject to Arval Belgium SA/NV's General Terms and Conditions.

Thanks to its low-pollution solutions and the arrival of new investors, the Mons-based company has every intention of continuing to grow. Discover more about this inspiring success story.

Eradicate the environmental and health problems associated with medical waste on a global scale: Ecosteryl's ambitions match the technical expertise of this Mons-based company. Founded in 1947, its core business was equipment and machinery for the mining industry.  Around twenty years ago, it completely reinvented itself by specialising in the treatment of (potentially) infectious waste from the healthcare sector.

A global player with high-profile clients

Today, Ecosteryl is a globally recognised player in its sector, exporting 100% of its production to more than 65 countries. Its customers? Hospitals, of course, but also organisations in the waste recycling sector and international institutions such as the World Health Organisation, the World Bank and the United Nations, as well as cities and states. The company employs around forty people and has an annual turnover of over €20 million.

Medical waste, a critical public health issue

Syringes, dressings, masks, sharp instruments... 15% of medical waste is considered hazardous and therefore requires special treatment. Given that a single hospital bed produces between 0.5 and 3 kg of this waste every day, it's easy to imagine the scale of the problem. The infectious, toxic and sometimes even radioactive risks associated with hazardous medical waste are far from minimal: among other things, it can trigger or accelerate a pandemic, and even give rise to new diseases. Decontamination and recycling of this waste, the only solution to eliminate this health risk, is therefore a global public health issue.

An environmentally responsible process

Direct incineration or autoclaving: these are the two methods used by Ecosteryl's competitors to decontaminate hazardous medical waste. The problem is that these processes are far from being environmentally neutral. Incineration causes significant CO2 emissions and harmful emissions, such as dioxins, and is also energy intensive. And autoclaving requires large amounts of water and energy, again with significant environmental consequences.

It is in this area of the environmental footprint that Ecosteryl has made a difference, thanks to a technological breakthrough developed in collaboration with the University of Paris. The decontamination and recycling process uses microwave and dry heat technology to disinfect hazardous waste. The decontaminated waste is then shredded to reduce its volume, after which it can be processed in the same way as non-hazardous waste. Or better still, it can sorted and recycled.

This process requires very little electricity to operate, and its environmental performance compared to incineration and autoclaving is incomparable in terms of emissions and water consumption.

Too much plastic in medical waste: recycling instead of prevention

Single-use plastic products, equipment and utensils are a fact of life in hospitals. In many cases, this single use is justified, for example for syringes. The problem arises when this waste is directly incinerated. But thanks to pre-treatment, decontaminated and dried waste can be given a second life.

Until now, there has been no machine for this final stage. Ecosteryl's latest development, R-Steryl, fills this gap. It is a unique sorting centre. Placed after the decontamination machines, it can sort decontaminated waste and recycle up to 80% of it. The major players in waste collection and treatment know that recycling is and will be a real challenge in the coming years. Ecosteryl is also positioning itself as a key player in this field, and is investing in a number of analyses to this end.

Private equity to accelerate development

Despite its size in the medical waste decontamination sector, Ecosteryl has no intention of slowing down. The company intends to continue and accelerate its international growth, and welcomes new investors: BNP Paribas Fortis Private Equity,  Wallonie Entreprendre and IMBC, an investment company focused on the Mons, Borinage and Centre regions. Philippe Dufrasne, Chairman of Ecosteryl, comments:  “With these new shareholders, we have found the right partners to help us stay ahead of the game and achieve our long-term goals, particularly in terms of ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) performance.”

A priority to invest in the transition of companies

BNP Paribas Fortis is also enthusiastic about this new project.

“We are particularly proud to support this company, which has developed a unique expertise in the production of cutting-edge equipment specialised in the environmental field. Over the years, Ecosteryl has succeeded in expanding worldwide in a niche market at the intersection of environmental and health issues. This investment is fully in line with our ambition to invest €1 billion in venture capital by 2025, focusing on funds and companies that respect environmental, social and governance criteria,” explains Raf Moons, Head of Private Equity at BNP Paribas Fortis. 

The Princess Elisabeth Island, is the world's first artificial energy island for transporting offshore wind power to land. A combination of innovation, technology and biodiversity conservation.

8,802 km: that's the length of all the onshore and offshore power lines and cables managed by Elia Transmission in Belgium.  As the operator of the Belgian high-voltage grid, Elia keeps the lights on by matching electricity generation and consumption at all times.

Artificial energy island

Grid operator Elia has just started to work on one of the most challenging projects in its history: the Princess Elisabeth artificial energy island. It will be located in the middle of the 285km² Princess Elisabeth wind zone. This is the second offshore wind zone in the Belgian North Sea that has yet to be fully built. With a capacity of 3.5 gigawatts, the new wind farms will produce electricity equivalent to the annual consumption of 3.5 million households.

Catherine Vandenborre, CFO of Elia: “The Princess Elisabeth Island is a vital link in the successful energy transition in Belgium. The island has a dual function. First, it will bring electricity from the new offshore wind farms to the mainland. And then from 2030, the island will also be connected to wind farms in other countries with which electricity can be exchanged. This will give our country access to cheap and renewable energy.  This is crucial for our energy-intensive industries, which are rapidly moving away from fossil fuels and switching massively to wind energy over the next 10 years. In this way, Belgium is contributing to Europe’s climate goals and the ambition to realise 300 gigawatts of offshore wind in the North Sea by 2050.”

Designing for nature

In terms of location, design and implementation, due attention is being paid to limiting unwanted impacts on the marine environment. “We are going one step further and opting for nature-inclusive design,” explains Catherine Vandenborre. “In consultation with experts, we are taking concrete steps to protect the biodiversity around the island. For example, we are adding ledges to the outer storm walls where the kittiwake – a vulnerable bird species – can rest and breed. Below the waterline, several measures will be combined to create a diverse and rich artificial reef, with a particular focus on the return of the European flat oyster.  The measures have been selected on the basis of their technical feasibility and expected positive outcome.”

Co-creation and innovation

Achieving such a nature-inclusive design required close collaboration and knowledge sharing between all stakeholders and different domain experts. “An instructive process for all involved,” confirms Vandenborre. “With this initiative, Elia wants to set the tone for the environmentally friendly realisation of future offshore infrastructure. Europe’s seas are becoming the power stations of the future. By integrating biodiversity conservation measures from the design and construction phases, we want to increase and accelerate the positive outcomes. The co-creation project with the experts has already made an important contribution to scientific development in this field. But the work is not finished. Monitoring programmes will be put in place to follow up, and if necessary, adjust the selected measures.

Ready for the next gust of wind

As one of the main financial partners, BNP Paribas Fortis is supporting Elia’s transition to a reliable, affordable and environmentally friendly energy system. BNP Paribas Fortis has already financed 8 offshore wind projects in the Belgian North Sea. These 8 farms together represent 2200 megawatts, equivalent to 2 to 3 nuclear power plants. The next round? New wind farms in the Princess Elisabeth zone. This will be done through project financing, with the underlying contracts and resulting cash flows backing the loans.

How does Ziegler aim for greater environmental responsibility? By methodically exploring various avenues. Their approach is based on four key pillars.