Zurich Recicla Qorus Innovation in Insurance Awards 2024 - Winner

Project Zurich Recicla was created with the main goal of contributing to the proper disposal of household appliances, electronics, cell phones, furniture, and cars involved in the insurer’s operations, in a unified manner.

The first initiatives related to recycling waste involved in the insurer’s operations began in 2021, with two waste-related fronts:

Mattresses and furniture: collection, sorting, and disposal of waste coming from these types of products. That involves salvaged items from extended warranty insurance and the responsible disposal services in the home insurance;

Cell phones, waste resulting from cell phone repairs, and computer items: in this area, Zurich provides over 300 collection bins at its partner technical assistance centers, allowing both customers and non-customers to dispose of this type of waste. Customers can also dispose of the waste by mail if there is no nearby collection point.

The disposal of vehicles deemed total losses in auto insurance began in 2022. With the expansion of insurance lines including recycling processes involved in their operation, the insurer brought together all initiatives under one umbrella, named Zurich Recicla.

Developed with business partners who sort all components and forward them to specialized recyclers, and with well-defined processes based on technical reports, the project allows quantifying what ceased to be waste and became raw material: since 2021, this figure has already exceeded 200 tons of waste. The project has been growing year after year, as opportunities to integrate more volume into the project are identified, and processes are developed to expand its scope.

In 2023, Zurich also began providing sustainability training to partners, seeking to expand the impact of their initiatives throughout the insurance ecosystem. The insurer also developed the Zurich Recicla Tour, a visit of associates to recycling partners, aimed at raising awareness of the subject internally.

In addition to the obvious minimization of environmental impacts, the project promotes the involvement and training of the insurer’s technical assistance in the sustainability agenda, contributing to the structuring of a waste recovery production chain. It also promotes engagement with the entire community by providing some types of disposal, including for non-customers.