Students from Sint Jozef Geel develop custom insect hotel for copper recycling company Aurubis Olen

At Sint Jozef Geel, some students unveiled a unique insect hotel today. Fifth- and sixth-year students from the Welding - Construction department developed an insect habitat in the shape of the Aurubis logo during project work. Fellow students from the Agro- and Biotechnology department filled the habitat with various materials, such as wooden twigs, tree trunks, bamboo, stones, etc. "It's great to be able to help a company with our work. This project feels really useful, especially because we are creating something sustainable that is also good for nature," said student Wout Gilis.

Caring for each other and the environment is a core value for Aurubis. “Near our Olen site, we want to contribute to enhanced biodiversity. And so the idea grew to develop an insect hotel in our logo. Through our collaboration with Sint Jozef Geel, our idea quickly took concrete form. When we see the result today, we are immensely proud of the craftsmanship and creativity of the students of Sint Jozef Geel,” says Hans Van de Water, Managing Director at Aurubis Olen.

The design and technical drawing for the insect hotel were provided by Aurubis' technical draftsmen. Afterwards, the students got to work with it. The project shows how close collaboration between schools and companies can lead to learning opportunities and innovative and sustainable solutions. “We want to introduce our students to the world in which they will later work as much as possible. In this project, we challenged them to think along from A to Z,” says Nik Engelen, Welding - Construction teacher (KOGEKA Sint Jozef Geel). “How much material do we need exactly? How would that translate into a quote? And how do we proceed step by step to realize it? It is incredibly valuable to see how our students apply their acquired knowledge and insights in such a concrete case,” concludes Johan Lauvrijs, Technical Advisor Science & Technology (KOGEKA Sint Jozef Geel).

Later this spring, the insect habitat will find a home along the bike path in Olen. There it will become a refuge for various insects, benefiting local biodiversity. “Some Aurubis colleagues who are beekeepers in their spare time and have a passion for biodiversity share their expertise to optimally plant and maintain the area around the insect habitat, creating a sustainable home for the insects. In this way, the realization of this insect habitat is a fine example of teamwork for both the students and Aurubis Olen, and we are extremely proud of it,” concludes Hans Van de Water, Managing Director at Aurubis Olen.

Two Kempen Aurubis branches

Aurubis has two sites in the Kempen: in Olen and in Beerse. The sites belong to the Aurubis Group, a leading global supplier of non-ferrous metals and one of the largest copper recycling companies in the world.

Aurubis Olen processes blister copper and multi-metal recycling materials as a high-performance metal recycling company in the Aurubis smelting network. The company has over 700 employees and produces copper cathodes, copper wire (Rod), oxygen-free copper wire (Foxrod), and busbars and profiles (Bars & Profiles) through electro-refining. The Beerse site also operates an electro-refining department and processes complex recycling materials, ranging from the most complex residues to high-quality scrap types. From these, the company produces metals, metal products, and minerals. Aurubis Beerse employs over 500 people.

About KOGEKA Sint Jozef Geel

Sint Jozef in Geel is part of the KOGEKA school group and offers a wide range of courses for the second and third grades of secondary education. The school focuses on fields such as agro- and biotechnology, food and hospitality, and science and technology.

In addition to regular education, KOGEKA Sint Jozef Geel also offers learning and working programs and a reception class for non-native newcomers.

The school is known for its realistic and high-quality education, with respect, honesty, and competence at its core.

More info: www.kogeka.be