11 Aug 2009 Corporate Social Responsibility was put into action when school children in Milwaukee, USA, received laboratory equipment and glassware that the company no longer needed.

A major facelift of Chr. Hansen’s research and development facilities in the USA made it possible to recycle a number of items to the benefit of others outside the company.

“In connection with the demolition of our old R&D building, there were many items which were no longer needed. Rather than dispose of the items which we no longer needed we took the environmental decision to ‘recycle’ the items to the benefit of local schools,” explains David R. Carpenter, Executive Vice President of Chr. Hansen’s North American region.

A number of area schools were contacted to see if they would be interested in receiving a donation of these items for their science classrooms. Two schools - Waukesha Central Middle School and Elkhorn Area Middle School - enthusiastically responded and received glassware and equipment. 

Thank you letters were received from the teachers expressing appreciation for the equipment; “We are already thinking ahead to next year and to the many uses we will have for this equipment in our Biology and Chemistry units. The lab equipment you donated  will be used by students for many years to come” expressed science teachers from Waukesha Central Middle School.

The science teacher from Elkhorn Area Middle School stated his appreciation by saying, “I feel fortunate that there are people like you and your company who are looking to help our kids make a better future for themselves. I can assure you that your donation will be put to good use.”

Henriette Oellgaard, Chr. Hansen’s CSR Manager, is pleased to see company values turning into something concrete and useful:

“I am proud that our policies are materializing into something so practical for the communities we are part of. We want to behave in a responsible manner and we have developed a four year strategy with specific objectives relating to social interaction. I am pleased that our good intentions are already becoming a reality,” she comments.