Daelmans vision on CSR

Daelmans Stroopwafels is part of the Daelmans Group and therefore carries the same vision as the Daelmans Group regarding sustainable business. Our people are the beating heart of our organisation. And if our people come first, it is needless to say that we also have to do our part to protect and preserve the world they live in. That’s why we’re not only committed to improving our workplace but also contribute to protecting the environment and the nature around us. This makes that sustainable business is an important part within Daelmans.

Our products and supply chain

Our products can be found in almost all Dutch supermarkets and are exported to over thirty countries. To make this happen, we are part of a multi-actor value chain that includes retailers and suppliers. In the context of CSR, we believe it is important to invest not only in scaling up our operation, but also in making it more sustainable. We do this in many ways.

Sustainable procurement

Daelmans Group purchases raw materials from suppliers. Daelmans Group uses raw materials that pose a risk to people and the environment if they are not produced in a responsible manner: palm oil and cocoa.

Daelmans Group is therefore committed to sourcing these raw materials responsibly and sustainably, which will ultimately benefit both our stakeholders and the environment. Daelmans purchases RSPO-certified and traceable palm oil products wherever possible. We are a member of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and hold the RSPO certificate.

Sustainable packaging

Sustainable packaging is developing rapidly. Currently, the packaging portfolio of the Daelmans Group is already optimised in many different ways. But also in the future further changes will be done.

At the moment, a thorough baseline measurement is being carried out within the Daelmans Group in order to map out the entire packaging portfolio. This measurement will tell us the extent to which our packaging portfolio either consists of recycled material or can be recycled. . Based on results, we will identify areas of improvement and develop them into a concrete action plan.

Reducing carbon emissions

We are learning more and more about our energy consumption every day, which is partly due to the fact that we can now quantify our energy consumption per kilogram of end product. There are also several initiatives underway to reduce our carbon emissions, the most important of which revolves around installing 1666 solar panels on the roof of our Oss production plant. These high-efficiency panels generate around 450,000 kWh of sustainable electricity every year, effectively cutting Daelmans’ annual carbon emissions by 228,723 tonnes. Moreover, we make sure that all our new buildings are sustainably designed and limit energy consumption in various innovative ways. In Oss, for example, we use a green TES system to heat and cool our building and production process. Our mobility choices also contribute to reducing our carbon footprint, opting, for instance, for more sustainable batteries for our forklifts.

Preventing waste

We strive to minimise wastage of raw materials in various ways, e.g. by reducing our water use per kilogram of product. This is an important stap within sustainable business. We now also pursue optimal Overall Equipment Effectiveness, or OEE, in our production process, which is a measure of how well a manufacturing process is utilised compared to its full potential during the periods when it is scheduled to run. To determine OEE, we look at what percentage of manufacturing time is truly productive. To achieve a high score, the number of errors in the production process must be kept to a minimum, which also helps prevent waste.

Food bank

Throwing away food is a major waste, which is why we have been donating our surplus products to the Den Bosch food bank for 13 years. They collect the products from us and distribute them among fellow food banks if necessary. Every year, Daelmans donates around 35,000 kilos. It’s a real win-win situation: we get to put a smile on people’s faces with a tasty treat and prevent waste at the same time! This is an excellent example of sustainable business.