Sustainability is a social goal that strives for a balance between environmental, social and economic matters. As an owner-managed family business in its third generation, we make our contribution - step by step - in awareness of our responsibility for future generations.
Sustainability
Reporting on Carbon Footprint
For all of our locations, planA has conducted an analysis of our carbon footprint. The analysis identified relevant emission areas and opportunities to reduce our emissions in the short and long term. It is based on the GHG Protocol and enables us to measure our company emissions and track their development across the Vollers Group.
The company emissions for the year 2023:
In the measurement, emissions are divided into three major areas:
Scope 1: This includes direct emissions from sources that are owned or controlled by the company. These include, for example, emissions from company vehicles and the operation of our own facilities and buildings.
Scope 2: This covers indirect emissions from the generation of purchased energy. This includes, for example, electricity, heating and steam purchased for our offices and warehouses.
Scope 3: This covers other indirect emissions along our value chain. These include, for example, the transport and processing of commodities, waste, business travel and the commuting of our employees.
7878
t
Total Emission in tCO₂e
774
t
Scope 1 Total Emission in tCO₂e
317
t
Scope 2 Total Emission in tCO₂e
6786
t
Scope 3 Total Emission in tCO₂e
Vollers' sustainable way
Renewable Energy
Our solar plant on Emder Straße in Bremen is active and producing electricity for the first time. With an output of 448.78 kWp and a total area of 2,176 m², the system is designed to supply electricity to our site. Official electricity generation and feeding electricity into the grid will begin once confirmed by the grid operator. In addition, we modernised our solar plant from 2010 on Cuxhavener Straße in 2022. The system has a module area of 711 m² and an output of 96.2 kWp.
The installation of a photovoltaic system at our Hoogtij site in Zaandam, the Netherlands, was completed in March 2024. A total of 2,760 panels are spread across three roofs with a total area of 4,500 m². Hoogtij is a fully automated cocoa warehouse that opened in 2021.
Our Antwerp site also uses photovoltaic technology to generate electricity. A photovoltaic system has been installed on 8,000 m² of roof space at the automated cocoa warehouse “Oosterweel 1000”, which is located on a concession site covering a total area of 133,000 m².
At Vollers sites where electricity from renewable energy sources is available, we use corresponding electricity tariffs to supply our locations. Find out more on YouTube.
Internal sustainability group
Our sustainability working group manages projects within the Vollers Group. By focussing on concrete and timely measures, we aim to make a measurable contribution to environmental protection. Employees from various departments are invited to contribute ideas. The roadmap for our sustainability initiatives includes gathering information and defining the structure, surveying the sites, including the site perspectives, evaluating the proposals from the sites, the decision-making phase, defining, implementing and reporting on the projects.
E-truck and fuel-efficient fleet
Since autumn 2024, our first Volvo electric truck has been operating at our Bremen site, reliably transporting coffee on local routes in an environmentally friendly manner and without direct emissions. With a gross combination weight of up to 44 tonnes, an output of up to 490 kW and a range of up to 300 km, the electrically powered tractor unit fits seamlessly into our regional transport operations and makes an important contribution to reducing air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
By expanding our charging infrastructure and continuously improving the balance between range and payload, we are taking further steps towards a more sustainable and environmentally friendly truck fleet for our customers.
The rest of our fleet consists of Mercedes Actros trucks with a payload of 24.2–24.5 tonnes. Thanks to advanced technologies such as aerodynamic design, predictive and adaptive cruise control, and tyre pressure monitoring systems, we achieve an effective reduction in diesel consumption of 3–5%. The underlying data and analysis can be made available upon request.
Electromobility
In addition to low-emission vehicles, Vollers offers its employees electric company cars and the option to lease electric company bicycles. Charging stations are available at our main locations and, in some cases, are also installed at employees' homes.
Since 2022, we have more than halved the CO₂ emissions of the Vollers Group's passenger car fleet in Germany, reducing average WLTP emissions from 121 g CO₂/km to 54 g CO₂/km. This places us below the EU fleet target of 93.6 g CO₂/km under the WLTP standard for 2025/26. Across all European Vollers locations, we have reduced average emissions over the same period from 132 g CO₂/km to 69 g CO₂/km.
By May 2027, we plan to further reduce average emissions in Germany to 38 g CO₂/km. Our goal is to further reduce the direct CO₂ emissions of our passenger car fleet in Germany by 2030. We are focusing in particular on expanding the use of electric vehicles and the charging infrastructure required for them.
Fuel-efficient reach stacker in Hamburg
We rely on an Eco Reachstacker from Kalmar, which saves five litres per hour or 20% fuel compared to conventional models. The compact Dana-Rexroth gearbox ensures efficient handling, while three different operating modes adapt the performance to the respective requirements. The reachstacker is operated with a hydrostatic drive, which enables a smaller engine and thus reduces fuel consumption.
Avoiding big bags with a crate system
At our site in Antwerp, we do not store the loose coffee in big bags, but in crates that meet food safety standards. These can be reused for around 15 years, while the big bags are intended to be used once or twice. From January to October 2023 alone, we were able to save over 27,000 big bags, which equates to around 54 tonnes of plastic. Find out more in our video on YouTube.
Electric tractor instead of diesel-powered tractor unit
At our site in Hamburg, we operate an electric tractor for manoeuvring semi-trailers with a maximum weight of 40 tonnes on level ground from Multi-Mover. The device is equipped with an electric motor and replaces the previous use of a diesel-powered tractor unit.
LED lamps
We continuously change to LED lamps in all locations of the Vollers Group.
Advanced tyre equipment
Our electric truck is equipped with Sailun tyres specifically developed for use in the transport sector. The tyre design contributes to reduced rolling noise and supports efficient vehicle operation. In addition, the tyres are designed to offer reduced rolling resistance, which can affect the vehicle’s energy consumption during operation.
... and more to come!
In the future, we will take further steps so that we do our part to improve conditions for our environment.
Digitalisation for less paper consumption
We are constantly pushing ahead with automation towards paperless data exchange via electronic data interchange, f.i. with establishing handhelds for various processes.
Reducing plastic waste
At Bury St Edmunds, we use machine-based pallet wrapping with pre-stretched stretch film. Compared with manual or conventional wrapping methods, this can reduce the amount of film material required per pallet. The actual amount of film used depends on the individual pallet and the requirements for securing the load.
Since 1 January 2023, we have been using recyclable stretch films. This also applies to the top sheets used to cover the pallets.
Our customers in the United Kingdom can dispose of the used films through the general recycling stream. The specific recycling options may vary depending on the local infrastructure.
Virtual meetings and sustainable work routes
Instead of traveling we very often use tools for video conferences.
If operational procedures allow, we offer our employees the option of working from home in some cases by arrangement - the elimination of travel also contributes to a reduction in travel emissions.