Hoogesteger and CSR
Our mission, to ensure everyone can enjoy fresh fruit and vegetable juices, means we are always close to nature. As a result, we feel a sense of responsibility for any consequences that affect the natural world.
These could include:
- the consequences of cultivation and transportation of raw materials,
- the use of water to wash the raw materials,
- energy consumption for the production and cooling of the juice,
- and ultimately, the packaging in which it is supplied.
In this context, of course, we also work with suppliers and transporters. How do they treat the environment? And just as important: how do they treat their employees? Chain responsibility is another important focus area for us because we buy our raw materials from suppliers in various high-risk countries.
To manage our direct and indirect impact more effectively, we carried out a baseline measurement in 2017. As a result, we gained greater insights into where we are and which steps we need to take. To tackle this in a structured manner, we then formulated our CSR policy along with the corresponding goals and measures and began drafting a digital CSR annual report so that everyone can monitor our plans and progress.
I am incredibly proud of the CSR team’s diligent and enthusiastic approach to its work on the plans; setting goals is one thing but the actual implementation process is another thing entirely. Moreover, the ultimate challenge is to enrich and refine these goals every year in order to maintain the bar at a suitably high level. This new annual report is further evidence that CSR is gaining a significant foothold in the daily operations at Hoogesteger. With this, we are both fulfilling and exceeding the increasing requirements and demands of our customers.
Highlights 2022
100% green energy
production Zwanenburg
Compensating flights
by means of GS Africa Biogas credits
Inventory of CO₂-emissions
from cultivation
4.5% lower CO₂-emissions
for every journey to the customer
Loading level for lorries
increased by 21% compared to 2021
Share of R-PET 92%
(increase of 70%)
Wash-off labels
Increase in deposits on bottles
both in the Netherlands and abroad
New jobs matrix, wage policy and salary scales
Sponsorship of charities
Energy and Climate
Our CO₂-footprint
Our products are produced and stored in a chilled environment. As a result, our energy consumption is relatively high. For this reason, we switched to green energy in 2021 and this has led to a substantial reduction in our CO₂ emissions.
In 2021, we saw an impressive reduction in our CO₂ emissions; we decreased from 2,386 tonnes in 2020 to 158 tonnes in 2021! In 2022 our footprint increased slightly compared to 2021; it was 172 tonnes of CO₂ last year. Although the increase was disappointing, we can clarify that this relates to the changing CO₂ emission factor for gas, among other things. Even though our gas consumption in 2022 was similar to that of 2021, the new calculation factor meant that emissions turned out to be 15 tonnes of CO₂ higher. In 2022, there were also more journeys by our own fleet of lorries and business trips using private cars. As a result, emissions increased by 9 tonnes of CO₂. There was, however, a reduction of 11 tonnes of CO₂ because we raised the sustainability levels of our flights in 2022. CO₂ emissions per million litres of juice produced stayed roughly the same, with a reduction of 0.28 tonnes of CO₂.
In 2022, we implemented various measures to reduce our emissions:
- 125 ml shots for AH labelling in Zwanenburg. This impacts upon out/inbound trips to Velsen.
- HPP intensifiers for quicker cycle times.
- Lighting in bottle warehouse replaced with LED lighting.
- Insulation of air conditioning units on the roof.
- Insulation of air conditioning channels above the ceiling.
Although we are taking a range of additional measures, we sometimes have to fly out to see our growers, e.g. for the audits that we conduct on-site. Our sense of responsibility for these emissions led to us improving the sustainability levels of our flights and reducing the corresponding CO₂ emissions in 2022. This was realised with the support of the Climate Neutral Group, and you can see the certificate below.
CO₂-footprint Hoogesteger 2022
Total 172 ton CO₂
Relative development of the CO₂ footprint
Emissions (in tonnes per million litres of juice produced)
CO₂ in the chain
Growing our raw materials
In 2022, we asked our growers to provide details of the CO₂ emissions from the growing process. This concerned growers of oranges, bananas, kiwis, strawberries, raspberries and mangos. The CO₂ emission data was then used to calculate the overall CO₂ emissions for our cultivation process. On the basis of this data and with the support of the French database, Agribalyse, we then calculated the CO₂ emissions of the growing process for raw materials.
These emissions for our raw materials amounted to around 11,073 tonnes of CO₂ in 2021; in 2022 this was 18,045 tonnes. If we break this down further, it equates to 0.38 tonnes of CO₂ per tonne of raw material in 2022, compared to 0.26 tonnes in 2021. This variance is down to our optimised emission factor for the oranges used. In 2022, we calculated the CO₂ emissions from oranges based on data we received from our growers. These emissions are more precise but are also slightly higher than the emission factors from the database we used in 2021. This means that more CO₂ is emitted from the cultivation of oranges than we had predicted. Also, more oranges were used overall in 2022. The higher emission factor, combined with the higher use of oranges meant emissions were higher in 2022 than in 2021.
These emission calculations provide us with an insight into which crops emit the most CO₂ which, in turn, helps us to set up potential reduction measures. Having asked growers to provide details of their CO₂ emissions for our calculations, we then asked them to supply a plan for reducing them. These growers are now getting to work on their plans. We will ask our growers to provide their data once again at the end of 2023 so that we can see whether any reductions have been realised. In 2023, we will ask more growers to deliver their CO₂ emissions data, ensuring that the CO₂ emissions from our growing processes are based on hard facts and actual data.
In order to create focus within our activities, we will first concentrate on the top 10. The crops in this list represent 90% of the overall volume and 76% of CO₂ emissions.
The top 10 we will focus on is set out below:
- Strawberries
- Pineapples
- Apples
- Bananas
- Raspberries
- Kiwi
- Mango
- Pears
- Oranges
- Ginger
Upstream transport
A high percentage of our CO₂ emissions in the chain are caused by transport. To keep this to a minimum, we transport goods by boat when we can. In this context, our philosophy is ‘as close as possible and as far away as necessary’. Apples, pears and various types of vegetables, for instance, come from the Netherlands wherever possible. The fact remains, however, that raw materials for our fresh juices are sourced around the world, depending on where the best quality crop can be found at the time. This might include South Africa, Egypt and various countries in Central and South America.
For most of our raw materials, we calculate the CO₂ emissions every year as a consequence of upstream transport, i.e. from the supplier to our production location. Below, you can see how emissions as a result of transport compared to emissions from our own production location. This excludes road transport in the country of origin. We are currently working on charting the transport of our own packaging too.
In 2021, the emissions from our upstream transport amounted to 6,778 tonnes of CO₂. In 2022, these CO₂ emissions increased to a total of 9,753 tonnes. To clarify further, tonnes of CO₂ per tonne of raw materials in 2021 was 0.16; in 2022 it was 0.21. This increase in transport emissions is because, in 2022, we sourced more oranges from Spain, Greece and Portugal than in 2021. This is due to the availability of sufficient oranges with the right specifications. Using the right oranges is vital in order to realise the appropriate balance between sweet and sour in our juices. Given that these locations are in Europe, the oranges were transported using lorries, whereas oranges from locations that are further away are transported by boat. With respect to CO₂, the emissions of a container travelling by boat are lower than a container travelling by road. This explains the increase in our emissions from upstream transport.
Commuter journeys
Since last year, we have also reported the CO₂ emissions between our production location in Zwanenburg and the distribution centre/cold storage facility in Velsen. In 2022, this amounted to 8.7 tonnes of CO₂, an increase compared to the 5.9 tonnes of CO₂ in 2021. This is due to an increase in the number of journeys between the production location and the storage facility of 632 trips and overall emissions increasing accordingly.
Downstream transport
When it comes to transport from our production location to the customers, we collaborate with transporters that work as sustainably as possible. Our in-house transporter Heinis Logistics uses refrigerated lorries, for example, that are fitted with Euro-5 and Euro-6 engines. The last truck and tractor unit with Euro-5 engines will be replaced in 2023 with models with Euro-6 engines. They are also moving towards the purchase of an electric truck and/or bus in the future. Our other transporter Stef has been working on the energy transition for years and has realised impressive results. Stef encapsulates its environmental efforts within the new climate programme ‘Moving Green’. We also continuously focus on logistics improvements in order to deliver juice to our customers as quickly and freshly, using the fewest possible journeys.
Our products are delivered around Europe, and this obviously has consequences for our CO₂ emissions. It is worth noting here that our supplies may form part of another load, so we have made our calculations using the weight of the delivery. In 2021, these emissions amounted to 3,901 tonnes of CO₂; in 2022 this totalled 3,987 tonnes of CO₂, including our trips with samples. This equates to an increase of 86 tonnes of CO₂. Although an increase often sounds negative, this is not always the case. In 2022, there were around 500 trips more than in 2021, an increase of 7%. Overall, these trips were more effectively loaded, however, leading to the average weight per journey increasing by 16%. As well as realising better loading levels, our journey distances have also decreased. Among other things, this is due to Hoogesteger making fewer deliveries to more remote countries such as Romania and Hungary, and more deliveries to the Netherlands. Essentially, this equates to 4.5% less CO₂ emitted per trip compared to 2022 and this is an amazing result, thanks to our measures.
Increase in load factors for transport to our logistical partner XPO
relative to base year 2017
2022: 59,31%%
2021: 38,23%
2020: 18,95%
2019: 6,46%
2018: 3,98%
Cold storage and logistics
Our cold storage facility in Velsen is largely self-sufficient due to the use of solar and wind energy, and energy-efficient due to the use of heat pumps, heat recovery, LED lighting and light sensors. This is down to the sustainable policy of our partner Kloosterboer, from whom we lease our storage space. Kloosterboer won the EZK Energy Award and was the first frozen storage facility to receive the Lean & Green award. For the construction of an additional 15,000 m2 cold and frozen storage facility, they realised the highest BREEAM norm ‘outstanding’, which equates to 5 stars. Next year, the programme includes chemical cooling agents being replaced by natural ammonia. In contrast to its chemical counterpart, this cooling agent emits no CO₂.
In 2021, Kloosterboer added 1,572 solar panels to the front section of our frozen facility which also provide power directly to the on-site consumers.
Our logistics partner in Nieuwegein, GXO logistics, also applies a sustainability policy and publishes a sustainability report every year. They have realised ISO 14001 (environmental) certification and are officially committed to the basic principles of the UN Global Compact.
Circular economy
With its raw materials accord, the government is aiming to realise a circular society by 2050. For us, this means:
- The highest possible level of waste reuse
- The lowest possible level of food wastage
- The lowest possible levels of plastic
The highest possible level of waste reuse
Residual flows of fruit and vegetables in 2022 total 20,077 tonnes (in %)
Disaggregated by destination
Residual flows
- In some cases, our residual flows are suitable for animal feed, e.g. pulp from ginger. The rest is fermented.
- The percentage of residual flows that are used for animal feed has risen by around 6%.
- Just under 5% remains to be turned into biogas by the fermentation process.
- The installation of the High Shear Mixer in the citrus press at the end of 2022 means that we can use more of the oranges and reduce the corresponding residual flow.
Commercial waste
- Our commercial waste is separated and recycled, wherever possible, by the external party Recycling.nl.
- Compared to 2021, our production rose by 8.8% in 2022. This increase is based on litres of juice produced. The corresponding waste in this year increased by 3.4%. This means that the waste level rose less significantly than our production level, a great result which shows our measures are effective.
- Some of our plastics are used for high-calorie incineration.
Packaging
- In 2021, 98% of our bottles were packed in recycled card. This is a 1% increase compared to 2021 and an increase of 14% compared to the 85% in 2020. Although the increases are getting smaller, we continue to do all we can to realise the highest possible percentage.
- The use of R-PET for our bottles is covered later in this report.
- The wooden crates in which our oranges arrive go back into the circuit or are chopped up for fuel.
Total waste 2022: 1.755 tonnes,
excluding residual flows
Bestemming reststromen 2017 t/m 2022 (in %)
Moerman’s ladder
Increasing the value of our residual flows is a constant focus for us. We made a huge leap forward in this regard, with the purchase of our new press in 2019. This involved both the reduction of overall residual flows, whereby we retain more for human consumption, and the use of almost all the residual flows for animal feed.
The lowest possible level of food wastage
Waste reduction
In 2020, we sought out methods for reducing our waste levels. To this end, we set up focus teams and worked on a new system called ‘Supply Brain’, which looks promising for the entire branch. Want to know more about the results? Read the ‘Innovation and Collaboration’ section later in the report. In the meantime, we are fully applying the Supply Brain system and, in turn, keeping waste levels as low as possible.
% failure XPO dontated to Food bank
Foodbank
Juices which cannot be supplied to the customer from GXO storage due to shelf-life issues are supplied to the Foodbank where possible. The above graph shows our degree of success (%) in this regard. In 2021, we realised a fantastic increase, achieving a level of 25.4%! We were delighted with this result. In 2022, this was somewhat lower, at 17.7% but this was due to the number of unsold products decreasing, leading to a corresponding decrease in the products that are suitable for the Foodbank. This shows that planning has improved, that fewer products are left over and that there is less waste.
Other measures
As well as converting the highest possible percentage of residual flows into animal feed, we prevent food waste in the following ways:
- Our juices are primarily made from category 2 and 3 fruit and vegetables. So-called ‘wonky’ fruit and vegetables. This means that they do not fulfil the appearance requirements to make it onto the shelves in supermarkets and greengrocers.
- Our FMP and HPP technology, which we use for some of our products, ensures a longer shelf-life while flavour and nutrients are retained.
- Juices and smoothies that are not suitable for delivery to our customers are offered to our employees. These are provided free during work time, and with a discount if they wish to take the products home.
The lowest possible levels of plastic
When it comes to plastic packaging, we touch upon an important CSR theme. Together with our customers, we are continuously on the lookout for options for (more) sustainable bottles. As well as recycled PET (R-PET), we are also looking at reduction possibilities.
We are delighted with the steps that we took last year with respect to recycled bottles. In 2022, we had 13 different bottles, 8 of which are made of 100% R-PET, 3 of 50% and just 1 that contains no R-PET at all. Overall, the percentage of R–PET in 2022 was 92%; this is a fantastic increase compared to just 22% in 2021.
Not all our labels can be washed off and, if they can’t, the section where the label is positioned is now cut off before the bottle can be recycled. In 2022, we began the transition to wash-off labels, which allow the whole bottle to be recycled. In 2022, we succeeded in increasing this share to 33% of all our labels. Nevertheless, this percentage is lower than we had hoped for, due to a long strike at the glue supplier in 2022. We would like to increase this percentage to 60% of the overall volume of labels used in 2023.
An increasing number of the countries to which we deliver are introducing deposits on our bottles. Governments use this type of deposit system to encourage people to return plastic bottles to the recycling flow, rather than sending them to landfill. This, in turn, supports the creation of a circular economy.
Water
Water consumption
We use the necessary water for cleaning our raw materials and machinery and calculate the quantity per litre of juice. The figure is worryingly high. It is, therefore, our aim to reduce water consumption where possible.
Compared to 2021, we have succeeded in reducing water usage per litre of juice produced. In 2022, this was 2.9 litres and our goal was to reduce water usage to 3.5 litres by 2023. This goal has, therefore, already been achieved and exceeded. However, achieving the goal is not the end of the road and our aim for 2025 is to further reduce the figure to 2.3 litres of water per litre of juice.
Measures taken so far to reduce water usage as much as possible:
- Purchase of a press which does not require citrus fruit to be peeled, meaning less water is used by the machine.
- Setting our cleaning company a KPI to be more efficient with water.
- Replacing reels and sprayers with more energy-efficient versions.
- Filling line 1 is automatically cleaned via a programme.
In 2023, a new (second) belt press was installed. By using a different technique, the belt press is cleaned more effectively and uses less water for the process.
Water consumption
per litre of juice produced
2022: 2,9 liter
2021: 3,5 liter
2020: 3,7 liter
2019: 3,4 liter
2018: 3,8 liter
2017: 3,9 liter
2016: 4,2 liter
Wastewater
80% of our wastewater comes from the production process. At our production location, this wastewater first undergoes a purification process. The sludge that is created as a result is captured and then turned into gas (1,600 tonnes per year) using fermentation. The purified wastewater then goes through a second purification process at the Hoogheemraadschap installations. This water is nutritious as it contains sugar, and bacteria from this type of water can turn contaminated water into benign substances. This wastewater can thus help the Hoogheemraadschap purification installation to purify water.
Chain responsibility and human rights
CSR risks and impact on the chain
Our raw materials tend to come from CSR risk areas, and we ask all our suppliers for certifications, such as Global Gap, GFSI and BSCI. Certificates, however, are important but do not always offer the guarantees we seek so we also carry out face-to-face visits with these suppliers. All our suppliers also sign up to our Business Practices. This document sets out criteria regarding the environment, human rights and employment conditions. Despite these measures, transparency in the chain remains a challenge. Unfortunately, we are rarely in a position to have a major impact because of two issues that make us less important to individual suppliers. First, we have multiple suppliers for the same raw materials to spread the risk of a failed harvest; second, we are a buyer of category 2 and 3 products, which are generally considered a ‘bycatch’ for suppliers.
100% of our suppliers have been audited against BSCI or an equivalent
100% of our suppliers are GFSI certified and 98% have Global GAP certification.
ICSR Covenant for Food Products
Our branch organisation, the FNLI, is committed to the ICSR covenant for Food Products. This provides an opportunity to collaborate on tackling the ICSR (International Corporate Social Responsibility) risks in the chain, with the support of other similar businesses. In 2022, within this context, we completed a self-assessment which confirmed that we already do a great deal with respect to ICSR. It also provided insights into the way in which we could integrate ICSR into our operations more effectively. In 2023, we will examine and set out the biggest risks in our chain. On this basis, we will draft an action plan to reduce these risks.
Our people
Staff composition
Ages
Flow through
New jobs matrix and transparent remuneration policy
The dynamic in the labour market is increasing and this has dramatically increased the complexity of carrying out our core activities. This compels us to be agile, quick and resilient in a constantly changing environment and requires us to have an overview of and continuously connect with our employees.
For the purposes of creating order and being ready for the future, we have developed a new and transparent remuneration policy and robust jobs matrix that offer clarity regarding all existing roles, tasks, responsibilities and authorities, and the corresponding remuneration. This policy forms the basis for the use of other regulations and HR instruments, such as the growth model, personnel planning and the development of our employees. In essence, we have created a foundation to keep employees motivated and committed to the organisation so we can then focus on the smooth implementation of our HR policy. With a clear, transparent and fair policy in this context, we are also increasing the chances that employees will stay with us, even in the current employment market.
Performance Management Policy
Once we have introduced the remuneration policy and jobs matrix, with the corresponding job handbook, we will have created the basis for introducing the Performance Management policy. We are thus creating connections between planning, coaching and supervising, assessing and rewarding.
The basic principle of the new Performance Management policy is that we wish to move towards a learning culture with a continuous dialogue about goals and development. We aim to give ownership to the employees themselves and increase engagement as a result.
We also believe that sufficient insights into the goals and progress among both supervisors and employees are required throughout the year to ensure prompt adjustments can be made where necessary. To this end, we use an online HR consultation cycle which encompasses 4 meeting moments.
Development of Vitality policy
Fit and vital employees are resilient and agile and can react to (market) developments. To create vital employees, we stimulate the development of our employees, offer good employment conditions and ensure we maintain an open and safe culture.
Employee development
We have introduced a growth model that stimulates through-flow and in this, the development requirements of both the organisation and the employees are continuously aligned. This model provides insights into how the employee can grow from a ‘beginner’ role to other positions within the organisation. The growth model uses PDP meetings, part of the HR consultation cycle, to support the needs of both employees and supervisors.
Optimising employment conditions
In 2022, Hoogesteger adapted travel cost payments to compensate employees for price increases in this area. The untaxed mileage allowance was temporarily increased from € 0.19 per kilometre to € 0.25.
The introduction of a new jobs matrix, remuneration policy and salary scales in 2022 has ensured that employees have greater insights into vertical and/or horizontal through-flow opportunities within Hoogesteger.
In 2022, we began working on the development of a vitality budget that can be used to pay for a sports subscription or to buy a bicycle.
Culture change Hoogesteger
In 2022, we started working on a culture change programme in which we use a core team of employees and management to gain insights into our current culture and core values. During this programme, we will move towards a customer-focused culture with the corresponding, new core values.
Vitality will become a fixed feature in our company culture.
Opportunities and the development of expertise at Hoogesteger
As a recognised learning company, we provide traineeships/apprenticeships for students with various educational backgrounds. We also regularly take on work placement students. In 2022, we had 3 work placement students in the Quality and Marketing department.
We also do our best to employ people who are disadvantaged in terms of employment; we have a ‘Wajong’ (a young person with an illness or disability) employee who has worked for us for over 25 years.
Employee overview
Frank, putting a smile on everyone’s face
‘Tell them I come from Leiden. It’s a fantastic city!’ In truth, it’s not hard to tell he’s from Leiden. Frank Hoogenboom’s accent gives the game away immediately.
The characteristic Leiden ‘r’ is unavoidable when Frank begins to talk about how he ended up at Hoogesteger. It all started with training in HR. Frank graduated after a work placement at Hoogheemraadschap Rijnland, where he specialised in KPIs. He then worked for Aethon, a temporary labour organisation, where was a Talent Manager with a pool of employees. His focus there was developing talent and account management but, after three years, he thought it was time for a change.
That was when Frank found Hoogesteger. When he began, he had to create a new HR team, building everything from scratch. ‘I knew it would be hard work. But now, two and a half years later, I think we succeeded. I know the people and the people know me. I am proud of the impact that the team has had on the organisation.’
At Hoogesteger, Frank finds fulfilment in the various projects and HR policy to which he is so dedicated. His friendly approach – he can even turn training in the gym into a social occasion – means he genuinely enjoys working with people. ‘I believe that HR should fit between the employer and the employee and be a pleasant experience for everyone. Putting a smile on everyone’s face.’
And he smiles to himself when he thinks of all the employees he deals with day to day. ‘I like the mix of people most of all. They come from all corners of the globe and whether they are big or small, male or female, I am proud to be able to work with them.’ He is also hugely proud of the great product that Hoogesteger makes. Frank thinks the production environment is great fun.
But there is more work to be done and there are plenty more projects on the pile. So many, in fact, that choices must be made and priorities have to be set. ‘But we are on the right track. Within the HR team, we are putting our shoulders to the wheel and getting on with the job.’
That’s what makes Frank tick. Whenever he does something, he applies himself 100%. In his free time, he likes bowling but he takes this seriously too. ‘At the moment, my average is 196’, he says as if it’s the most normal thing in the world. This approach is also evident at Hoogesteger. Frank is great fun at work and certainly isn’t just the ‘guy from Leiden’.
Juusuf, our genuine all-rounder
If there hadn’t been a civil war in Somalia, Juusuf Abdi would probably have become a lawyer. He was studying law in his own country when things became dangerous and he was forced to flee from Hargeysa, the city of his birth.
He then found himself in the Netherlands and, after working for a few employers, ended up at Hoogesteger where he has been working since September 2017. He began as a temporary employee, then moved onto a permanent contract as it quickly became clear that he had a lot to offer.
Juusuf is a genuine all-rounder. He started in the labelling department six years ago and, after a month or three, moved to the shot filler in the Specialities department where he worked as an operator. A year later, he was asked if he wanted to learn how to operate the HPP (and with a certain sense of urgency, as Hoogesteger was two operators down).
Juusuf enjoyed his work on the HPP; he trained new operators and was there when the second machine was installed, but after a while the working hours began to take their toll. The HPP runs 7 days a week, with three shifts, and it was all a bit too much so he moved to the bottle warehouse. He worked there for around a year and a half before he felt that setting up the bottles had become a little run-of-the-mill and fancied another change. Luckily, around that time, the fourth production line had just gone into operation and Juusuf found his next challenge on labelling line 4, where he still works with a smile to this day.
‘It just clicked for me. The work is not too demanding, my colleagues are great and Hoogesteger is close to where I live.’
Juusuf is now completely settled in the Netherlands. He has not forgotten about a career in law but at Hoogesteger, he is a valuable employee for everyone. ‘If they need me in the bottle warehouse or at the shot filler, I can always help.’
Hoogesteger and society
Safety for the consumer
Every day, at Hoogesteger, we make fresh juices from fresh raw materials that are sourced around the world. Food safety is hugely important with any fresh product that is supplied to the customer without being heat-treated so all our suppliers are Global Gap and GFSI certified. These certificates mainly focus on food safety, as do our supplier audits. Hoogesteger itself is also BRC Food Safety and IFS Food Safety certified. These audits have been conducted ‘unannounced’ for years. In 2022, we also achieved the BRC AA+ and IFS higher level score. With this, we can demonstrate that we always manufacture our products at the highest level of food safety.
The least possible inconvenience, the most possible enjoyment
Our production location is situated in a residential area, and we do our best to ensure that the residents are inconvenienced as little as possible. That is why we installed a sound wall, to keep any noise pollution to a minimum, a few years ago. And at Christmas and Easter, when production is ramped up and work takes place through the night too, we share juice with our neighbours.
To support our neighbourhood, we also sponsor various social activities each year. In 2022, for example, we donated 1,200 wooden pallets to the den-building event ‘spijkerdorp’ in Zwanenburg.
Clean and tidy
We suspect that some of our own employees and temporary employees occasionally drop litter on the streets and we know this is not ideal. It must be cleaned up, along with the litter that others leave behind, which also scars the landscape. That is why we decided to make regular, weekly tours of the neighbourhood to collect litter. One employee from the office and one from production, armed with a rubbish bag and a litter-picker, collect any coffee cups, cigarette butts and other litter they find along the way.
We started this in 2021 and in 2022, the benefits are clear.
- The area around Hoogesteger looks even better
- There have been various positive reactions from residents. We are delighted with this as we always aim to be a good neighbour.
- The link between our employees has also been strengthened. People who may not bump into one another at work get to know one another as they walk around the area.
We will certainly continue this campaign.
‘Hart voor de zaak’
Hoogesteger is a partner of ‘Hart voor de zaak’ and provided a substantial donation to this good cause last year. The charity raises millions of euros for research into heart and vascular disease and seeks solutions to identifying and treating heart and vascular diseases more efficiently. With our contribution to this scientific research, we are supporting safer and healthier hearts in the Netherlands.
Collecting bottle tops for Kika
A resident from Zwanenburg, where we also have a branch, collects bottle tops for the children’s cancer charity ‘Stichting Kinderen Kankervrij’ (Kika). The tops are then collected by a recycling company and the money that is raised as a result goes to Kika. We are delighted to support this type of initiative, so the quality department at Hoogesteger keeps all the tops from the tested juice bottles and any that are rejected and gives them to the person who initiated this action.
Iris Hond Foundation
Hoogesteger loves to give something back to the local area. This year, we have done so via the ‘Iris Hond Foundation’. This foundation offers music and concerts for homeless people to, in their own words, enhance their sense of self-worth and support them in re-establishing their social confidence. It’s a great initiative that Hoogesteger has supported by providing juice for these events.
Giro 555 Ukraine
Hoogesteger has also donated to Giro555 this year. Hoogesteger cannot provide direct support, of course, but hopes to support the victims of the war in Ukraine in this way. Giro555 can realise great things with the donations it receives so it feels good to have contributed.
Innovation and collaboration
Innovation and sustainability go hand in hand, and we are continuously seeking opportunities to innovate within our production techniques. Our R&D department looks for innovations with respect to new and healthy ingredients, such as organic and vegan products. They also constantly seek out new opportunities to increase the value of our residual flows. In 2022, we added the High Shear Mixer to our citrus press, allowing us to use more of our oranges and reduce the corresponding residual flow. Genuine breakthroughs are achieved via collaboration so, in the context of innovation, sustainability and the development of expertise, we work with various parties, including WUR, Eurofins, Allergenenconsultancy, KTBA, Normec, our branch organisation FWS and Duurzame Adviseurs.
Increasing the value of residual flows
Since 2019, we have been taking part in a project alongside Wageningen Food & Biobased Research (WFBR) and several other businesses. This project aims to use pectin and chitin from residual flows in functional and high-quality ingredients for food, household and personal care products. This fits into our CSR aims to increase the value of our residual flows as much as possible. As well as adding our residual flows to this project, we also contribute EUR 10,000 per year.
MVO Nederland
In order to stay up to date with specific developments within the sphere of corporate social responsibility and to network with parties who also focus on these areas, we are affiliated with MVO Nederland.
Preventing waste together
Reconciling supply and demand is a big challenge for food producers. IT specialist Orcado and food branch expert Get Yessed believe there are huge benefits yet to be realised and have, therefore, combined forces and developed the platform ‘Supply Brain’.
Enabling reuse together
In 2022, Bakker Barendrecht supplied various residual flows of fruit to Hoogesteger for the production of fresh juices. This fruit did not fulfil the appearance requirements to reach the shelves of the supermarkets but was still fit for consumption. We are delighted that we have created this cooperative partnership and are able to put it to good use. In total, we have been able to use 230 tonnes of oranges, 45 tonnes of grapefruit, 58 tonnes of lemons and 40 tonnes of limes in our fresh juices as a result.
The CSR Team
CSR has now become embedded in our organisation. All the departments contribute and great ideas are also put forward by our employees. We are delighted with the results we realised in 2022 and are proud to present our fourth CSR annual report. We would like to thank everybody, both within and outside Hoogesteger, for their commitment and for taking the time to read this report. Questions, suggestions and ideas about the report or CSR, in general, are always welcome. Please let us know via renate.ludeking@hoogesteger.nl.
From left to right in the photo: Nanda Bosma – Buyer NFR, Frank Kooter – Sourcing Manager RM, Johan van der Veer – Supply Chain & Operations Director, Edo Abels – Managing Director, Nancy van der Louw – HR Manager, Renate Ludeking – SHEQA Manager
Further details
Information about the social annual report
Commitment GRI
This social annual report is based on the latest generation of guidelines from the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). The report is checked by the organisation itself and is not externally verified. The GRI table is provided as an annexe.
Scope of the report
This report concerns the activities of Hoogesteger in 2022. While the report was being compiled, no significant changes took place regarding the scope, structure or ownership of the organisation.
Reporting frequency
The plan is to present a report every year.
Contact
For questions about this report, you may contact Renate Ludeking, SHEQA Manager, renate.ludeking@hoogesteger.nl.