Environmental footprint
Reduce our operations' environmental footprint
Bordeau Chesnel has an environmental conscience
Inaugurated in the summer of 2019, in Yvré-l’Evêque in France’s Sarthe department, the new production facility for the authentic range of Bordeau Chesnel pork rillettes is an example of Savencia’s commitment to reducing the environmental impact of its operations. Designed in response to the major issues of tomorrow, the facility is equipped with optimized and innovative industrial processes focusing equally on employees’ safety and wellbeing and on the product quality which is the cornerstone of the brand’s reputation. Entirely eco-designed, the site will enable a drastic reduction of the consumption of electricity and natural resources (40% less for electricity, 25% less for gas and 35% less for water) as well as of CO2 emissions (700 tons less per annum). Equipped with a new cooling system making no use of greenhouse gases, the facility also provides for improved waste recycling and for better quality of other emissions.
More environmentally friendly packaging
The reduction of packaging’s carbon footprint is an ever greater expectation of consumers in response to which Savencia continues to pursue a deliberate policy of eco-design of packaging and use of recyclable materials, with numerous practical realizations, such as the Chaumes L’Original 200g food tray incorporating at least 67% of renewable organic material. The product’s plastic lid has also been replaced by a recyclable cardboard sheath. In the same way, Fol Épi has saved up to 70 tons of plastic per year thanks to its new tray containing 23% less plastic and 30% of recycled plastic. In the case of Valrhona, the brand’s new chocolate boxes containing 40% less cardboard will enable 5.5 tons of annual savings, while its metal boxes have been replaced by containers made of 100% recyclable cardboard.
Energy savings: united we are stronger
Savencia has not waited for regulation to conserve energy! Based on the principle that each and every initiative can have an impact, the Group and its subsidiaries take practical action to reduce their energy consumption and encourage the use of renewable energy sources. For example, since 2017 our Weiss chocolate factory located in Saint-Etienne uses 100% of green electricity. Our Champdeniers-Saint-Denis site has for its part converted its previous heavy fuel oil heating system to natural gas, an investment which meets the new environmental requirements and reduces energy costs and contributes to reducing the site’s environmental footprint by reducing by 27% the previous level of CO2 emission. As a result, between 2015 and 2018 the Group’s energy consumption per ton produced has fallen by 4.2%.
“En route” for the circular economy
What if the industrial waste from our manufacturing facilities could be used to fuel the circular economy? In the framework of our CSR approach, several of our subsidiaries already make use of methanization, a biological process in which organic matter is broken down by bacteria with a total absence of air or oxygen, thereby producing energy. The Group’s Fro’ subsidiary thus recycles 100% of its organic waste using its milk producers’ methanization equipment, while the Azé cheese plant in France’s Mayenne department has set up a local partnership for methanization of its own organic waste: many local virtuous circles which contribute to minimizing the environmental impact of our industrial operations.
Did you know ?
Training in eco-driving to ensure more responsible milk collection
As part of our drive to reduce CO2 emissions, our milk tanker drivers receive training in eco-driving. Their milk collection rounds, with 97% of collection taking place within 70km of our dairies and cheese plants in France, are also optimized to reduce the distances covered to a minimum.
