Sustainability
Together we are aiming for a better world
Yes, we wish to produce the most delicious spice cake for you. But not at the expense of your and our futures. At Vondelmolen, sustainability is part of our DNA. Ever since we started, we have found it logical to think about the impact our business has on our environment. And we are not only talking about nature, but also about our neighbours and staff, for example. In the 1930s, for example, employees lived in the houses around the factory. In each garden there was a walnut tree which produced sufficient harvest to cover the rent for a year.
Because we always opt for sustainable solutions, we have been laureates of Voka’s Sustainable Entrepreneurship charter of Voka (Vlaams netwerk van ondernemingen – Flemish network of enterprises) since 2005. Our company has also been CO2 neutral since 2017.
Attention to our planet
We owe our CO2-neutral company label to our many years of efforts to limit energy consumption as far as possible. For example, via solar panels on our roof and in our garden, natural skylights in the bakery, heat recovery during the production process, waste sorting and paper carrier bags instead of plastic.
We compensate for the energy that we do use. For example, we support the installation of wind turbines that make India less dependent on coal.
In 2020 we were even awarded the UNITAR SDG Pioneer certificate from the United Nations for our contribution to their 17 sustainable development goals. An achievement of which we are proud!
Taking care of our people
These 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) gave us the opportunity to broaden our actions. Because sustainable business is about so much more than just the environment. We also think of our people. For example, we donate to food banks, we support social activities, we sponsor sports competitions and we focus on safe working conditions for employees and suppliers, good relations with local residents, healthy food and gender equality.
More than 150 years after our story began, Vondelmolen is a modern organisation. We are constantly reducing our ecological footprint by aiming for more innovative and sustainable production processes. We have already won several prizes for this and, if it is up to us, many more will follow!