We have been making cheese for 100 years. A great product, but also one that could be more sustainable. Cheese has a considerable impact on the climate. This is due to the CO2 emissions from the cheese production chain, from cow to cheese.
As a packer, we are a link in this chain and our role is limited. Nevertheless, we want to address this issue. Reducing the CO2 footprint of cheese also contributes to this, while the transition to more plant-based food plays an important role in combating climate change.
As a chain partner, we work with suppliers and customers to expand our range with cheeses and vegetable alternatives with a smaller climate impact. Sustainability is also about health. That is why we are also working on expanding our product range with healthier cheeses, for example alternatives with less salt or fat.
We supply our products worldwide in various forms and packaging. However, a lot of packaging also means a lot of plastic. A material that ends up in the waste after use, and in some areas can also contribute to the problem of ‘plastic soup’.
We would like to change this. And since cheese packaging is our business, we can make a contribution towards making a difference. Ideally, we would like to use only recyclable packaging, but this is easier said than done. Especially with cheese, food safety must always be ensured and this means that not every type of packaging is possible.
Of course, we look primarily at what is possible. For example, we are working on reducing packaging weight and increasing ‘mono’ materials, which are more recyclable. Our target? By 2025, we want to be able to offer our customers a circular packaging solution.
Our products are made in Bodegraven and Oudewater. The production process does not consume a lot of energy, but we want to reduce CO2 emissions as much as possible. Moreover, we can take immediate steps towards making our sites more sustainable.
This includes increasing our use of green electricity. And in time we want to generate more and more power ourselves by using solar panels. Currently, 25 per cent of our power is from solar panels. Making our machines and fleet more sustainable is also on the agenda.
We are also focusing on reducing the waste created during our production process, such as plastic and cardboard. Other objectives include the optimal separation and reduction of waste streams as much as possible. With these efforts, we are committed to a climate-neutral production process by 2030.
In addition, we will devote a great deal of attention to making the logistics processes smarter and more sustainable. This is because all of our transport has a large CO2 footprint. While we can optimise our internal transport planning to reduce the number of transport movements, modern trucks running on sustainable fuels play the biggest role. This is why we want to go green in cooperation with our logistics service providers.
There would be no cheese without our employees. This is why we continually strive to create a safe, personal and committed working environment.
Safety is deliberately our top priority: all our employees must be able to do their jobs in a safe and healthy manner. This allows our employees to work with one another to produce a beautiful, high-quality cheese product.
Creating a pleasant and inspiring work environment where everyone can learn and grow is also high on the agenda. Health and happiness are important here, because only when people feel good about themselves will they be employable in the long term.
