Our sustainable business
Sustainable entrepreneurship is ingrained in our DNA. Already many years before it became a trend, Vondelmolen paid a lot of attention to the company’s impact on our environment. And we are not just talking about nature, but also, and above all, about the people who work with us, our neighbors, …
In the 1930s there were a lot of houses around the factory where the employees could live. There was a walnut tree in every garden. With the harvest from a tree, every employee could “pay” the rent for a year.
And there are many such stories.
Below we give some examples of what we do now. We cannot list everything. We have been the laureate of the Sustainable Business Charter for 15 years in a row (previously: environmental charter). That means at least 150 small and large measures, in addition to what is required by law.
CO2-neutral
We have been CO2 neutral as a company since 2017.
We have achieved this through years of efforts to minimize our own energy consumption.
We compensate for what we cannot (yet) avoid using CO2logic. This organization invests in projects all over the world that actively help to reduce CO2 emissions locally. Moreover, their projects also have many social and economic benefits for the local population.
More info: www.co2logic.com
The project we support in Rwanda is not yet on their site, but it is similar to the one in Benin.
Solar power
Already in 2009 we installed 1250 solar panels on our roof, and in 2012 more were added in our garden.
In 2017 we also installed solar panels on the newly purchased warehouse.
The electricity that we still purchase is also produced entirely sustainably.
Light catchers
These mirrors follow the sunlight and lead it inside.
The bakery is thus partially illuminated by natural light.
This not only ensures lower energy consumption, but also a more pleasant working environment.
carrybags
We use around 10,000 carrybags per year:
- gift for guests
- sponsorship of Dodentocht
- …
Since 2017, we will use recycled paper carrier bags instead of plastic. A little less plastic for the plastic soup!
Women in cyclocross
We believe in the equality of women and men. That is why we have decided to sponsor a women’s team in the cyclocross.
Our goal:
- identify young talents
- offer them material and opportunities to develop themselves
This way they can also show what they are capable of, and possibly grow to one of the larger cyclo (cross) teams.
We also support a lot of local and somewhat larger initiatives related to sports, charities, etc.
Below you will find a number of the initiatives we support
