69 Kemsteel LTD in Bulgaria

Team 70 Poster

Team Reflection 

The COIL program was an amazing experience, providing us the chance to work with people around the globe and further our knowledge of the UN SDGS and social responsibility in general. Our company, Kemsteel LTD is a Bulgarian based scrapyard which specialises in the demolition and recycling of ships. This process of recycling old ships is only carried out by a small number of scrap yards due to complexity of the process. Deconstructing ships is often a very labour intensive process requiring a very specific skill set. These labourers can often be hard to find and expensive to maintain as they are responsible for their own safety and that of their team while tearing apart these ships. Scrap yards who deal with the demolition of these ships are also held to a higher standard by environmental boards as improper technique and safety precautions can cause severe damage to the surrounding environment. (How to Recycle an Old Vessel: Safely and Sustainably, n.d.)

Kemsteel’s ability to recycle these ships is of huge benefit to the environmental goals of the UN SDGS, especially goal 12. This goal focuses on sustainable and responsible consumption of the limited resources we have. Being able to maintain a business model which benefits all three P’s of the triple bottom line is integral to creating progress on the UN SDG’s. This type of business benefits people through the creation of new and interesting jobs as well as the removal of rotting and rusting ships from local bodies of water. The removal an proper disposal of these ship’s maintains surrounding marine life and keeps dangerous materials from re-entering the aquatic ecosystem. And in doing all this Kemsteel is still able to produce a profit which drastically improves the likelihood that goal #12 is attainable

As a group, after completing the interview, we thought that it is fascinating and great news for us as potential future business leaders, that as we were able to see, it is possible to make a profit while simultaneously genuinely helping the people and the industries in our local area. Keemstel LTD is not only making profit, but by recycling old scrap metal such as steel, they were able to reduce the amount of rust and waste that was in the water bodies of Bulgaria, making a positive impact on the environment. Additionally, they were also able to reuse some of the metal from these old materials such as scrap ships, and they are now able to sell that to the industry, meaning the steel industry does not have to mine for more raw materials and instead they are recycled. This way, Kemsteel LTD was able to make a profit, while simultaneously benefiting multiple stakeholders in their community. This made us excited about our possible future, as it means that as future business professionals, we will be able to make a profit while also helping other parties – whether it is the environment and a reduction in pollution, or whether it is other industries and the work towards sustainability, which is a global effort.

Individual Reflection

Thomas Peterec

The COIL experience was very interesting to say the least. Going into the project I didn’t know how to feel about working with people from other countries through brief contact and online meetings. Not being able to see members physically meant I had to put a lot of trust into the group to show up to group meetings and complete the assigned tasks. Overall I am surprised at how smoothly the process went and the amount of  accountability other members in the group had for each other. Being able to both express and listen to constructive criticism allowed for high group satisfaction on the work produced. However upon the deadlines arrival for this COIL there started to be some issues regarding quality of work. Some members of the team placed the story segment into a plagiarism checker which set off alarming results. This put the rest of the group in a dangerous place as there is a lack of time to recreate the segment and academic misconduct is a serious issue. On paper the COIL project is great, letting people interact with other people around the globe to create a story about sustainability. However in practice there are too many things that can go wrong and spoil the experience for other members.

Rudolf Vaco

Kemsteel LTD is a refreshing look at sustainability, as often times in real business the completion of sustainability objectives seems rather vague and perhaps even intentionally scripted for the purpose of simply reporting that a company is sustainable, but in this case, it is actually true and the sustainability part is an important part of the business with a genuine motive to help and to make the community prosper. The Aim2Flourish did therefore change my perspective towards believing that it is possible to make a profit, which is the purpose of business in the first place, and to also make an effort towards sustainability. I believe that this experience did at least partly affect the way in which I will conduct business in the future. I will be more open and trusting when it comes to the good intentions of businesses to make an impact and contribute towards sustainability, as well as I will try to be more environmentally friendly in my day-do-day habits myself. In the case that I would become an entrepreneur myself in the future, I would like to take inspiration from Kemsteel LTD and help the community in which my business will be, and ideally also make it a part of the company, and not just a one-off donation to a non-profit organisation that contributes to the sustainability effort. When it comes to the international group work, I believe we were able to work relatively well, despite some difficulties in connection at the start and a slight misunderstanding regarding a time change. We were also able to arrange meetings, in which most members were abe to attend. In these meetings, although there were differences in cultures, I believe we were able to get an agreement relatively quickly, and once we were on the call, progress was being made. Some parts outside of the call were a bit more troubling, and text communication was a bit harder at times, especially with one particular team, who at times did not respond to messages and at other times, they mentioned they will attend a meeting although they did not. They also produced some results that were questionable and it is uncertain whether these outputs were copied from somewhere else, but hopefully this is not the case. This is one of the large weaknesses of teamwork, which is only increased here by the physical distance between the team members. Overall however, I think we were able to complete the work to a sufficient standard, and it was nice to talk to some of the members, for instance the Canadian team was very friendly and approachable, and always open to communicate.

Aleksander Nemski 

While working with Kemsteel LTD, I was able to see that it is possible to improve humanity’s impact on the environment while also making money. It was nice to see an example from the real world, as different goals presented by themselves just in theoretical form in different textbooks and websites are often not as exciting and difficult to visualise and measure. Here I could see that the owner is actually running a company that is helping Bulgaria, they are cleaning the water supplies, recycling steel and also making a profit. It was therefore nice to see Kemsteel LTD`s contribution to the development goals. The teamwork also worked pretty well. We did have some trouble connecting with some team members in the beginning, but once we were set up, we were able to see most of the team members more regularly and get the assignment done. We also had one misunderstanding about timing, as there was a time change in Europe, so we ended up not seeing each other with some of our team members, but this was just a misunderstanding and it is good to learn from this for the future, so we know that we will have to communicate about time changes in more detail if there is an international team next time. There were not any other misunderstandings besides that, only that members from one university were not as attentive and the work quality seemed questionable. We were able to get the assignment done however, and I believe this experience was good for my future business interactions.

Owen Kelly 

The COIL experience was a great experience. I really enjoyed the opportunity to connect and work with other students globally. At the start of the project I would say that I was a little nervous about the accountability among the group members. Knowing that this project makes up a good portion of my grade I wanted to do well. Week after week through communication and meeting virtually the team worked very well together and everyone was doing their portion of the project well and in due time, which took away my anxiousness. The overall communication and task delegation made it fair for everyone so that one person or group of people had a higher workload than others. Overall I would say that the COIL experience was definitely something I would do again. Working with and meeting students from different universities and countries gave me a brief snapshot into how different post secondary school is around the world and found it very interesting and a very useful project to participate in.

Charith Kanishka

Being a part of the COIL program has opened my eyes and broadened my understanding of sustainability, global cooperation, and practical business issues. At first, I wasn’t sure how well our group could collaborate across time zones and cultural differences. But this initiative showed how crucial flexibility, communication, and respect for one another are to reaching our shared objectives. Particularly motivating was working with Kemsteel LTD. It was amazing to see how a company could balance real environmental impact with profit-driven goals. The UN Sustainable Development Goals felt more real and significant after witnessing Kemsteel’s commitment to recycling ships and halting environmental harm in Bulgaria. I learnt from the company’s efforts to support Goal 12—responsible consumption and production—that companies that adopt sustainable practices can, in fact, make significant progress. My awareness that sustainable business models are not only feasible but also advantageous for the environment and communities has been strengthened by this initiative. Working with fellow students from other countries was a wonderful yet difficult experience. Although there were certain challenges, such as time zone variations and occasional misunderstandings, these were valuable experiences in collaboration and problem-solving. Additionally, I became more aware of the various viewpoints and methods that individuals from different countries contribute. It was amazing to see how our diverse experiences and perspectives came together to create insightful conversations and results. One major challenge our group faced was related to maintaining high-quality work under pressure. There were moments of concern about academic integrity and whether certain sections of our work met the required standards. This situation was stressful but highlighted the importance of vigilance, responsibility, and open communication when working collaboratively. Ultimately, we managed to address these concerns and deliver a cohesive project, but the experience underscored the significance of ethical practices and the collective accountability of the group. Overall, the COIL project has given me a deeper appreciation of how businesses can drive social change and how collaboration across cultures can yield rich learning experiences. It has also motivated me to consider how I can incorporate sustainability into my future career, not just as an obligation but as an opportunity to contribute positively to society.

Celestine Eze

The COIL program was an eye-opening experience that not only allowed me to explore concepts of sustainability but also strengthened my skills in international collaboration. Working on Kemsteel LTD’s approach to recycling old ships emphasised the relevance of sustainable practices in the industry, particularly with regard to UN SDG 12, which focuses on responsible consumption and production. This project showed me that businesses can genuinely benefit both the environment and the economy, as Kemsteel LTD does by reducing waste in water bodies and repurposing metal for further industrial use. One key lesson from this experience was learning to trust in the collaborative process, despite being unable to physically meet the team. Initially, I was apprehensive about accountability since we all came from different time zones and backgrounds. However, through regular online meetings and open communication, I saw that each team member was committed to the project. Although we did face some challenges, particularly around different communication styles and issues with time zones, it was rewarding to see how we were able to work through these to produce a final piece we were all proud of. An important takeaway for me was understanding the impact of clear, regular communication and the need for flexibility when working with international teams. While text communication could sometimes be misinterpreted, I found that video meetings allowed for better clarity and collaboration. This experience made me more adaptable and taught me the importance of considering others’ perspectives, both culturally and academically, which is a crucial skill for future professional interactions. In terms of sustainability, witnessing a company like Kemsteel LTD operate with both profit and environmental impact in mind shifted my outlook. It reinforced my belief that companies can prioritise sustainability without compromising on profitability. This project has inspired me to incorporate similar values in my future career, understanding that business can indeed be a force for good.

References

How to Recycle an Old Vessel: Safely and Sustainably. (n.d.). R.L.Kalthia Ship Breaking Private Limited. Retrieved November 3, 2024, from https://www.kalthiashipbreaking.com/how-to-recycle-an-old-vessel-safely-and-sustainably/