The Nolet Distillery takes responsibility by purchasing and generating sustainable energy and offsetting and gradually reducing CO2 emissions at the production site. We are focused on creating a positive social impact in the communities in which we are active.
We have a small carbon footprint in Schiedam. We purchase 100% wind energy and our gas is offset for us by our energy provider. What we cannot mitigate, is calculated annually by the Climate Neutral Group and compensated by investing in sustainable projects in other parts of the world. Click here for more information about the Climate Neutral Group.
For 330 years, our home base in Schiedam has provided employment in the region. We like to do our bit by being socially responsible. For instance, our 85-metre long tunnel under the Schiedam Buitenhaven, between our distillery and logistics centre, is the longest private tunnel in the Netherlands. Raw materials and packaging materials are transported through the tunnel for production purposes. Our packaged products are then taken in the other direction to the logistics centre from where they are distributed all over the world. The tunnel helps to keep traffic in the district where the Nolet Distillery is based to a minimum. Our tunnel has not gone unnoticed: it was nominated for the first Dutch Building Prize and won the Schreuders Prize in 2007 for special achievements in underground construction.
But we do even more when it comes to energy and climate. For example, Molen De Nolet, built in 2005 right next to the Distillery, produces wind energy. We also use a heat/cold storage system, which is a form of underground energy storage. It is a sustainable contribution to our production process and our buildings. We store energy in the form of cold, which is made in the winter using free cooling units on our roofs, 160 metres underground. This provides us with enough cold air in the summer for cooling purposes. After use, the heated water is injected into a hot aquifer.
Is that enough? We don’t think so. That’s why we have prepared an ambitious sustainability plan for 2030. We are aiming to produce no more waste in our direct operation, to use 10% less electricity per litre produced compared to 2020, to use 10% less glass and cardboard compared to 2020, and to phase out the use of natural gas in the future.
Zero waste in our direct operation in 2030
In 2050 no more use of natural gas (in 2030 10% reduction per produced liter compared to 2020)
2030 10% less electricity per produced liter compared to 2020
In 2030 30% water savings on the part of the water discharge RO water (25% of the use)
50% reduction in CO2 in the value chain by 2030
By 2030 only use biodegradable or compostable labels
Reducing glass and cardboard and increasing the use of recyclable products
By 2030 only use recycled plastic or bio-plastic in caps
