Optima bank

The initiative aims to reduce the environmental footprint of the Optima bank group through the integration of circular economy principles across all its activities. By placing emphasis on the sustainable use of resources and modern waste management, it aligns with the material topic E5 – Waste, strengthening the transition of both the bank and its clients towards a more efficient and responsible business model

The initiative targets Optima bank employees, as well as its clients and partners. More broadly, it constitutes a best practice for the business and financial community.

Ongoing initiative 

The Group is committed to continuously improving energy efficiency and systematically reducing greenhouse gas emissions and waste across its entire value chain. In this context, the buildings housing the Bank’s Central Services have been fully renovated, incorporating advanced high-efficiency electromechanical systems (air conditioning/heating) and the widespread use of LED lighting, significantly contributing to improved energy performance and a reduced operational footprint. At the same time, the Group adopts an integrated approach to waste prevention, embedding relevant practices across all operations and stages of the value chain. A key pillar of this strategy is the policy to limit paper use, which substantially reduces reliance on printed documents in daily operations and customer interactions. In this same context, the use of digital signatures has been established, and the adoption of electronic invoicing and contracts is promoted wherever feasible, leading to a measurable reduction in paper consumption.

Through targeted partnerships and structured initiatives, the Group strengthens its transition towards a circular economy by prioritizing resource recovery and material reuse, while integrating sustainable practices across its operations. A pivotal contribution in this direction has been the collaboration with the “Just Go Zero” program by Polygreen, which reaffirms the Group’s commitment to the circular economy—one of the material topics identified through the Group’s double materiality assessment.

Polygreen is a group of companies providing integrated circular economy solutions globally, with a presence in Greece, the UAE, and the European Union. Its flagship program, Just Go Zero, was developed on the island of Tilos—the first certified zero-waste island worldwide—in an environment that required the practical resolution of all operational, technological, and human challenges of the circular economy. This know-how has since been transferred to Optima bank through Just Go Zero Business: a system that combines physical collection infrastructure, environmental education, technology, and a digital monitoring platform, providing full traceability per waste stream and verifiable data ready for ESG reporting.

Just Go Zero Business is Polygreen’s program designed for companies that aim to manage their waste in a measurable and verifiable way. At its core lies a technological infrastructure that turns every collection into data: smart (IoT) scales automatically record weight and material category in real time, while the digital platform processes and visualizes data by waste stream.

Through the platform, Optima bank has access to:

Real-time monitoring of each collection, by material and location
Detailed historical data with full traceability of waste streams
Waste pattern insights for identifying waste generation trends and improving internal processes
Automated scheduling of new waste collections
Recycling certificates per material, with full documentation for use in ESG reporting, double materiality assessments, and public sustainability commitments

For the implementation of the program, dedicated recycling bins have been placed at selected locations within the Bank’s central buildings for the following materials:

Paper
Plastic
Coffee / capsules
Food
Aluminum
Cigarette waste
Organic waste

To ensure the effectiveness of the program, the Bank organized a series of training seminars aimed both at informing and raising awareness among its employees and at providing guidance on the proper use of each bin.

The recycling program is implemented jointly with the recycling company Polygreen, which has developed the “Just Go Zero” application. Additionally, for electronic equipment recycling,  the bank cooperates with GreenFence- MetalLogic, which recovers and reintegrates electronic equipment back into production.

Employees actively participate through the daily implementation of energy-saving practices, waste separation at source, and the adoption of responsible environmental behaviors in the workplace.

Employees are trained and actively participate in waste sorting and energy-saving practices.

Greece (Head Offices)

• Diversion of thousands of kg of waste from landfill
• Organized recycling streams
• Better/ more sustainable working conditions
• Conversion of organic waste into compost
• Water savings in industrial processes

Total recovered materials (2022–2026): 6,821.13 kg

The specific program has achieved significant results, including:

• Improved sustainability performance
• Reduced operational cost
• Diversion of thousands of kilograms of waste from landfill sites.
• Structured recycling of special waste streams (paper, plastic, aluminium, toner) and reduction of mixed waste.
• Conversion of organic waste into soil-improving fertilizer.

Saving thousands of litres of water in the paper and textile processing industries.

Optima bank has been participating in the Just Go Zero program since 2022. During the period 2022–2026 (to date), through Polygreen’s collection and management system, a total of 6,821.13 kg of materials were recovered, with detailed recording per category (see attached infographics/ tables)

From the recycling of these materials, significant environmental benefits were achieved (see attached infos)

Furthermore, responsible recycling of electronic equipment through GreenFence – MetalLogic ensures that valuable materials are recovered and reintroduced into production cycles, rather than being discarded. These actions reflect the group’s commitment to circularity, with an emphasis on