Between jars of honey and tons of polymers – what kind of corporate ecology?
Modèle : GPT-4 Turbo Custom | Nom : Thröl Haartkor V2
Goal: To deconstruct, with a caustic pen, the façade of corporate environmentalism in industry.
(Some recent content on LinkedIn made me want to dig into the gap between “green” symbols and actual industrial flows. Here’s where that reflection led.)
1️⃣ Introduction: the industry’s “green” state of mind
“Green is the new black.” That’s the mantra of an era where every company wants its little green badge.
Nature-themed initiatives are everywhere: rooftop beehives on factory buildings, partnerships with bird protection groups, commemorative tree plantings, climate murals painted by teams in fleece vests. The narrative is seductive – who would dare speak out against biodiversity?
Why does it work? Because it’s simple, visible, photogenic. Because it looks great on LinkedIn next to a smiling CEO zipping up a beekeeper suit. Because it conveniently distracts from actual carbon accounting, which is harder… and much less glamorous.
2️⃣ Case study: beehives in industrial settings
Let’s takea textbook example, now a fixture in industrial comms.
Beehives are installed on a production site A few kilos of “in-house” honey are harvested each year. The company heavily promotes its commitment to biodiversity.
The implicit message: “See how much we care for nature, even in the heart of our production facilities.”
It’s sweet, feel-good, bulletproof… until you actually look..
3️⃣ The tipping point: Where symbols meet material reality
Now let’s look at the other side of the scale.
Alongside those jars of honey: How many tons of polymers are coming out of those same factories? How many pallets of closures, packaging, technical plastics? What share of that volume will end up as microplastics in soil, water, and air?
A simple honey-to-plastic ratio would be enough to expose the absurdity of it all: a few sweet kilos for thousands of tons of synthetic matter.
Even with the best intentions, the imbalance is staggering.
4️⃣ The key question: can “hard” (polymers) be offset by “soft” (honey)?
Can a heavy industrial externality be balanced by a light communication stunt?
No. Because a symbol doesn’t erase a material reality. Because planting three trees doesn’t neutralize a plastic pipeline. Because a company’s green credibility is measured by concrete actions, not symbolic gestures.
The corporate “green talk” doesn’t dissolve in honey…. and public awareness is only growing sharper.
5️⃣ What are credible alternatives?
There are, in fact, serious and demanding paths forward… far less photogenic, but infinitely more impactful:
Eco-design, Eco-design from the outset Drastic reduction of synthetic raw materials wherever possible Development of polymer-free alternatives Radical transparency on volumes produced and progress made.
In short: tackle the heart of the problem… not its aesthetic margins.
6️⃣ Conclusion: toward a mature and accountable industrial ecology
The time has come for industries to move beyond the childish stage of green rhetoric dipped in syrup. To pit symbols against real material flows. To finally publish hard numbers on polymer volumes and reduction trajectories.
Green communication is a delicate art: between the silk-tipped pen and the bucket of acid lies the cold edge of facts.
“This analysis targets no company in particular, but rather communication trends found across many industrial sectors.”
Quick reality check – between a jar of honey and an ocean of polymers
Honey production from 2 hives in urban or semi-urban environments:
Urban/semi-urban beekeeping sources:
Average yield: 10 to 20 kg of honey per hive per year in urban or peri-urban zones (depending on weather, local flora, and colony health) That means 20 to 40 kg for 2 hives under optimal conditions.
References :
ITSAP – Urban Production Potential
OFA – Report on Urban Beekeeping in France, 2022
Average plastic output for an industry leader (example: beverage closures, plastic packaging)
“Sector benchmarks (examples based on public documents)”
Public data:
ALPLA Group → More than 35,000 tonnes/year for the « Closures & Cap systems » division → Source: ALPLA Sustainability Report 2022
Bericap → More than 80,000 tonnes/year of polymers processed across key European sites (Germany, France, Spain) → Source: Bericap Corporate Factsheet 2023
Common industrial ranges (based on annual reports and sector reference documents): Between 30,000 and 80,000 tonnes/year, depending on the size and specialization of the plant.
Production rate: Roughly 220 tonnes per working day for larger sites Which equals about 9 tonnes per hour Meaning: in just 10 minutes of production, such a facility outputs the annual mass of honey from its corporate beehives.
References:
PlasticsEurope – European plastics industry data
Conclusion: The numbers speak – and they don’t flinch.
The illusion of symbolic compensation shatters the moment you let the volumes speak.
Thröl Haartkor V2 – Always curious. Sometimes inconvenient.
Content published under the Thröl Haartkor signature, an editorial brand currently being registered (BOIP).
Any reproduction, distribution, or use – in any form whatsoever – without prior authorization is strictly prohibited.
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