Resource conservation at WILD - Positive eco track record verifies sustainable practices (15.06.2011)

Resource conservation in the food business is becoming increasingly important for industry customers and consumers alike. WILD stands to benefit from this trend, as the principle of sustainable business practices and ecological efficiency – creating additional value through more economical use of resources – is traditionally anchored in corporate policy.

WILD’s goals have always been to strengthen the innovative power of the company, to protect the environment, and to reduce costs with the aid of optimized processes and economic resource management. WILD already established its pioneering role back in 1992, when the company became one of the first in Germany to be certified according to the strict ISO 9001 quality standards. This was soon followed in 1996, when WILD was again among the first to have its management system certified according to ISO 4001 and validated in accordance with EMAS.

Optimizing processes – increasing efficiency
In past years, WILD has repeatedly achieved numerous measurable successes with the aid of sustainable practices and regular staff trainings, as examples from the Eppelheim headquarters show:

• Renewable energy sources currently account for almost 20 percent of heat generation.
• Natural gas consumption at the Eppelheim complex has been reduced by one million cubic meters since 2008.
• The use of electric power for the production of one ton of staple ingredient has dropped 15 percent over the past three years.
• Since 2008, process water resulting from operations has been reprocessed in site-own facilities for obtaining biogas and/or electric power.
• CO2 emissions have decreased; amongst others, through a shift to combined transport.
• Waste quantities are also on the decline, for instance as a result of economizations in packaging materials.
• Only vehicles conforming to the highest emission standards were purchased for the vehicle fleet.
• Internal logistics have been undergoing constant optimization in order to reduce transport expenditure.
  

Several other ambitious goals are in the pipeline. WILD plans to reduce CO2 emissions by at least 20 percent
(compared with the 2005 rates) by the year 2020, and to increase the use of renewable energy sources, as a share of total energy consumption, to 20 percent.

Food – a scarce commodity
Despite the considerable efforts of the agricultural and food industries to operate sustainably, food is a scarce commodity. In all probability, it will become significantly more expensive in the mid and long-term. Orange juice, for instance, is already three times more expensive than it was three years ago.

The reasons for the price increases are plentiful. To start with, global demand for food is growing whilst the availability of arable and fertile land is on the decline. Energy-supplying plants are in competition with foodstuffs, and climate change and the associated vagaries of weather will lead to more crop failures. At the same time, consumers’ requirements as regards the quality and safety of food are rising. Consumers want to know where the products are coming from, and how they are cultivated and processed. Transparency is the order of the day.

Traceable and credible
WILD has developed a strategy of risk minimization that considers the sourcing of raw materials and makes their origins transparent for the consumer. Above all, this relates to worldwide purchasing and the establishment of long-term supplier relationships right up to the cultivation of raw materials and optimized storage. Depending on the season and the required quantities and qualities, WILD sources raw materials from different countries and stores them either in the country of origin, at the company’s Rotterdam site, or in Eppelheim.

A worldwide valid Code of Conduct makes sure that cultivation fulfills certain social standards. WILD stipulates the details of cultivation and processing methods as well as guaranteed purchase quantities and product qualities with its global suppliers. In addition, the working conditions of the agricultural and production workers are bindingly agreed upon. Customers can therefore rest assured that products sourced by WILD satisfy the highest of requirements.

Contact:
Publik. Agentur für Kommunikation GmbH
Dr. Antje Louis, Carola Kappe
Rheinuferstr. 9
D-67061 Ludwigshafen
Tel.: +49 621 9636 0032
Fax: +49 621 9636 0050
E-mail: c.kappe@agentur-publik.de