Protecting the environment

Increase the sources of renewable energies and the efficiency in our production processes by reducing the consumption of energy, and so, our global carbon footprint.

• The electricity consumed in our sites in the European Union comes from 100% renewable sources. In Puurs, Belgium, for example, we installed 1.000 solar panels in our factory roof.
• We will have photovoltaic panels from 2021 in our factory in Rubí, Barcelona.
• Energy efficient lighting with LED in our factories.
• We will continue increasing our renewable energy use and progressively reduce the use of energy based on fossil fuels.
• To extend our energy management system (certificated with the ISO 50001) from our plants in Germany and France to other major factories worldwide.

Optimize our production processes in order to reduce the CO2 emissions per tonne produced in all our plants and by our logistics, as well as to promote an efficient use of the energy and a progressive conversion to more eco-friendly energy sources.

Our improvements are applied in all the value chain through local initiatives/projects:

• The factories of Spain, Italy and Russia achieved a total reduction of 43% of CO2 per tonne produced compared to 2010.
• In France, the “Green Steam Project” allowed us to reduce our carbon footprint by 70% in our Le Pontet factory. A 2-km-long pipeline to transport “green” steam between our factory and a nearby incineration plant. Non-recyclable waste from our factory is incinerated and the energy recovered as green steam is used to cook vegetables for our soups, thus helping in generating a circular economy.
• Concerning logistics, factories in Spain obtained together a 20% CO2 reduction along 4 years (2016-2019) in their terrestrial activities by optimizing some practices, achieving the  Lean&Green Star recognition.
• In Belgium a new external warehouse was built next to the factory saving 18.120 km per year on transport.
• The increase of local production in Africa reduced the transportation of products thus reducing CO2 emissions.
• Promotion of natural refrigerants in our equipment.
• Establishment of travel policies aimed at reducing the number of travels.
• We have recently signed an agreement with Port of Barcelona to assess the emissions related to our maritime transport worldwide. It will let us establish a baseline from which assume emissions reduction compromises.
• After achieving the Lean & Green Star in Spain for the certified reduction of 20% of our terrestrial logistic emissions, we are assessing the expansion of this initiative in other European countries and Africa.

Increase the use of recycled materials towards a circular economy.

• Currently more than 95% of packaging is already recyclable in our European products and 64% in our African geographies.
• We subscribed the Circular Plastic Alliance objectives through our membership in the Food & Drink Europe Association.
• We are also improving our labelling to help consumers better collect and sort packaging materials once the product is consumed.

Our ultimate goal is achieving almost 100% of recyclable or compostable packaging by 2030.

• 25% of the PET we use in our plastic bottles will be recycled from other previous PET containing materials by 2024 and 30% of our plastic films will also be from recycled origin one year later.
• Carton board and paper will be either recycled or from sustainable sourcing by 2022.

Reduce our water consumption ensuring sustainable withdrawals in all the countries where we operate.

• Some of our plants were already involved in a reduction plan from 2010 to 2019 achieving a 35% reduction of water per tonne of product produced.
• We are currently working to expand the water reduction plan to all our factories and define both challenging and feasible objectives for the next 10 years.
• We use drip-irrigation systems in our tomato fields in Africa which helps us reduce up to 40% of water vs conventional irrigation systems, reducing significantly our usage of fertilizers.

Reduce to the maximum the waste we generate by optimizing all our production processes and the efficient use of our resources.

We have a paperless policy in our offices in order to reduce its consumption.

• Our plants in Italy, Spain and Russia were involved in a reduction plan for the last decade producing today less than half the waste they produced in 2010.
• Landfill waste at our factories in Belgium, Germany and France is already close to zero, and our aim is to reduce all our waste going to landfill to almost zero in all our geographies by 2030.

Make a positive impact on the protection of natural resources in the local communities by focusing on sustainable sourcing.

• Palm oil in our products is certified by RSPO assuring sustainability and no deforestation.
• Using FSC paper in most packaging to promote sustainable forestry
• Agribusiness in Nigeria and planting trees in uncultivated areas to benefit the local community
• Some brands include BIO or MSC labels, promoting both sustainable farming and fishery practices
• We have a paperless policy in our offices in order to reduce its consumption.