Protection of resources Our responsibility to the environment. Start Responsibility Sustainability Issues Protection of resources We use resources such as water and energy to best preserve them for future generations and to guarantee protection for the environment, people and animals. In doing so, we focus on the constant reduction of resources consumed. Protection of resources The food industry is an energy-intensive industry. As one of the leading companies in the meat industry, we are aware how important it is to protect natural resources and save energy. We thus focus on three areas of activity: saving energy, the most effective use of energy, and high efficiency through production of our own energy. We invest in modern technologies and regularly review our energy mix to improve even further. We are aware that substantial resources are used before the carcass reaches us, particularly during the animal husbandry stages. We have developed a new feeding concept in collaboration with the North Rhine-Westphalia Chamber of Agriculture. The ‘Animal-optimised, Nitrate and Soya-reduced Feeding Concept’ (TONISO) significantly reduces the nitrogen secretions in manure. It reduces the nitrogen content by up to 30 per cent. We also aim to halve the soya share in feed, specifically for piglets and in pre-fattening feed. This preserves resources in animal husbandry and reduces the quantity of nitrogen and nitrates entering the groundwater via fertilisers. Susanne Lewecke Director of Environment and Energy Management Ask a question Important key figures Our actions 1. Energy usage and generation 2. Use of refrigeration and compressed air 3. Use of freshwater 4. Wastewater cleaning 5. Exhaust air cleaning Our environmental protection expert Susanne Lewecke describes our actions with regard to resource consumption. To ensure that we can use the necessary resources as effectively as possible, we use our findings from the certified environmental and energy management system as per ISO 14001 and ISO 50001. This enables us to implement a continuous improvement process. The specialist department communicates the results to the company management in the form of management reviews and defines alternative additional and new measures for saving resources. To be able to better analyse the consumption at the respective production sites, we have defined the balance limits. Sustainability in accordance with worldwide standards All German sites within the Tönnies Group are certified in accordance with the energy management system DIN EN ISO 50001, an international standard for systematic energy management. Furthermore, the majority of the German sites within the Tönnies Group are certified in accordance with the environmental management system DIN EN ISO 14001. This defines requirements and standards for life cycle assessments and resource efficiency. Our goal is to have our other sites and plants certified in accordance with 14001 by 2020. We created the first carbon footprint in 2009 for our largest plant in Rheda-Wiedenbrück in collaboration with the Bremen Energy Institute. Since then we have created an annual carbon footprint for our plant in Rheda-Wiedenbrück and now also for all other plants. For the carbon footprint for a single product, we have tracked the path of a schnitzel: from raw material preparation to the end consumer, our analysis shows that the slaughter and butchering only contributes to approx. 2 per cent of the total carbon footprint; finishing is approx. 10 per cent of the carbon footprint; and the manufacturer of the fattening feed is approx. 55 per cent. What proportion of the carbon footprint for a schnitzel weighing 1 kg does each individual production step make up? As a result of our continuous actions on resource and energy saving, we have managed to save 15,000 tonnes(t) of CO2 this year at the Rheda-Wiedenbrück plant. We can actively save CO2 in the field of heat recovery from the blast furnaces in pig abattoirs in particular, as well from all refrigeration and air compressors and through investment in optimum aggregates. Our combined heat and power units: optimum resource management We continuously invest in the modernisation and new construction of state-of-the-art plant technology to optimise our resource consumption. By constructing a total of five combined heat and power units (CHP) in Rheda-Wiedenbrück and in Sögel, we produce a large share of our energy ourselves for use in production and refrigeration. We are also saving resources – this protects the environment and our finances. Our CHP uses sophisticated technology that is based on innovative NH3 absorber technology and which has been specifically developed for Tönnies. The CHP enables the energy quantities from the energy provider and the self-generated energy quantity to be controlled easily and efficiently. We take a consistent energy quantity from our supplier and, in the event of peaks, can supplement this through our own energy generation. Two CHPs in Sögel: two combined heat and power units (two x 2 MW electric) through the optimum use of the heat energy, saving of approx. 1700 t CO2 With the combined heat and power stations we create a third of our energy ourselves here in Rheda-Wiedenbrück; at the plant in Sögel more than half of the energy is self-generated. CHP Rheda-Wiedenbrück: in 2017 we generated approx. 61 million kWh of power using the three combined heat and power units (three x 2.7 MW electric) a saving of approx. 2800 t CO2 due to optimum use of heat energy As an international industrial company, we are aware of our social responsibility to handle resources carefully. Our claim is the avoidance and reduction of environmental pollution. On the basis of our environmental and energy management system, we can guarantee responsible handling of resources. Our next goals Through the increased use of regenerative energies we are working towards a significant further reduction in the consumption of primary energy. We use, for example, geothermal energy, photovoltaics, heat pumps and solar panels. 1. Energy usage and generation 2. Use of cold and compressed air 3. Use of fresh water 4. Wastewater cleaning 5. Exhaust cleaning 6. CO2 emissions What is the role of environmental protection at Tönnies? We see environmental protection as a key factor in everyday operations at our company. To constantly optimise our processes, we record all environment-relevant usage and process data. We then evaluate this data as part of our environment and energy management system. The expert Questions on resource protection to Susanne Lewecke, Director of Environment and Energy Management at Tönnies What do you do to protect the environment? How do you go about preparing or utilising wastewater? How do you handle hazardous substances that are used? How do they reduce CO2 emissions? Ask us! Make up your own mind and have your questions answered at first hand. Please ask so that we can give you answers and better understand what is important to you. Our contact partner Susanne Lewecke will answer your relevant questions here. If the content of the questions is the same, we group the answers together. Your name Your email address* Animal Protection during the Slaughter Process Food safety Animal Welfare in Animal Husbandry Protection of resources Employer Healthy nutrition with meat Antibiotics Climate protection in animal husbandry Others Your message I agree that my data will be stored and processed for the purpose of this request. Susanne Lewecke Director of Environment and Energy Management About Tönnies The Tönnies Group is a family company that is active at several levels of the food industry. The international company operates in eight divisions, has approximately 16,500 employees, and generates annual sales in the billions. The core business of the company, which was established in 1971, concerns the slaughter, butchering, processing and refining of pigs, sows and cattle. IMPRINT | DATE PROTECTION