unilever 2013 in the benelux › images › unileverinthebenelux2013e... · 2020-06-11 · unilever...

2013Unilever in THe BenelUX Growing together for a sustainable future

Willem Sleurs, Business Team Leader Ice CreamUnilever Belgium

Growing our business while making our planet healthier

Monique Gerichhausen, Nutrition & Health ManagerUnilever Benelux

Taking up the challenge with real innovations

Esther van Spronsen,Senior Brand Building Manager Skin Unilever The Netherlands

Helping to raise self-esteem all over the world

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GrowinG ToGeTHer for a sUsTainaBle fUTUre

Frank Weijers, Chairman Unilever Benelux:

Unilever in THe BenelUX 2013 GrowinG toGether for a sustainable future

“Growth is vital to our company. but we believe that growth should go further than resounding sales figures and an attractive share price. all over the world our growth creates jobs and incomes for hundreds of thousands of people and their families. for the suppliers of our raw materials, for example, hundreds of thousands of farmers, but also for our own employees. we believe that growth should not be at the expense of the world in which we live. and that's why we work day in and day out to find new ways of doing business sustainably.”

oUr compass “our global unilever sustainable living Plan is an invaluable compass in this respect, and the source of inspiration behind all our activities. it gives direction to our intention to prove that sustainability and profitable growth can go hand in hand. this Plan goes far beyond reducing environmental impact, with which sustainability is often associated. improving the health and well-being of over one billion people and sourcing 100% of our agricultural raw materials from sustainable agriculture are also targets to which we commit ourselves every day and which we look to achieve via smart partnerships.”

consUmers’ Help “Moreover, we not only consider our own products, but we take responsibility for the entire value chain: for our suppliers and distributors, for example, but also for the consumers who use our products. research has shown that more than 85% of the environmental impact of washing and showering lies in the so-called consumer use phase. achieving a real behavioural change is therefore one of our biggest challenges, which in the netherlands we are tackling together with the world wide fund for nature.”

inTo focUs “the goal of doubling our turnover and reducing our environmental impact by 2020 is incredibly inspiring and is supported by some 50 specific commitments. it puts all our employees all over the world – including the benelux – into focus and challenges them time and again to bring out the best in themselves and each other. this brochure shows what their passion and vision can lead to in practice and also includes key facts and figures about unilever in the benelux.”

www.unilever.be / www.unilever.nl

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health and well-being are an important pillar of the unilever sustainable living Plan. we will continually work to improve the taste and nutritional quality of our products to help people to achieve a healthier diet. and how do we do that? Gerda, Monique and edwin like to tell us more; read their stories in this brochure. Rianne Leenen, Head of Nutrition & Health Unilever Benelux

unilever is an organisation in transition. i am proud to see how sustainability is coming to life among our people. employees are rising to the challenge and see for themselves how they can give sustainability a key place in their daily work. this makes the sustainable living Plan increasingly integrated into the organisation. i would say: read the personal stories and find out. Anniek Mauser, Sustainability Director Unilever Benelux

tarGets unilever sustainable livinG PlanimprovinG HealTH anD well-BeinG By 2020 we will help more than a billion people take action to improve their health and well-being.

reDUcinG environmenTal impacT By 2020 we will halve the environmental footprint of the making and use of our products as we grow our business.

enHancinG liveliHooDs By 2020 we will enhance the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of people as we grow our business.

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HonesT as salT “worldwide, we are all eating too much salt. often double – 10 grams – of what the world health organisation recommends per day. the intake of too much salt significantly increases the risk of high blood pressure which is a major cause of cardiovascular diseases. for this reason, we have worked for about six years at unilever research & Development worldwide on the reformulation of our recipes and on innovations that enable the use of less salt in our products. without compromising on taste of course. for example, by using aromas, herbs and spices that add more flavour and fragrance, so we can reduce the salt percentage. or by using alternative salts that are not harmful to health."

finDinG creaTive ways “to date we have achieved significant reductions in salt, but now comes the crunch: can we find creative ways to reduce the salt percentage in our products further? Can we make it easier for consumers to move towards the norm of 5 grams per day? that is a huge challenge and one that we are not tackling on our own, but in partnerships. for example, the ingredients that we purchase from our suppliers, such as cheese and soy sauce, also contain much salt. the entire chain – other food manufacturers, suppliers, restaurants – must take steps.”

increasinG consUmer awareness “but perhaps the biggest challenge is to get consumers to consciously choose products with less salt, to get them to accept that "less salt" is not the same as "less flavour". we work hard on increasing awareness; our online salt test in the benelux is a successful example. in addition, we have a worldwide partnership with the international union of nutritional sciences (iuns). they focus on reducing chronic diseases, for instance by raising consumer awareness of the dangers of too much salt.”

Check out the video on salt reduction in the section sustainable living on www.unilever.nl and www.unilever.be.

www.zouttest.be / www.zouttest.nl


improvinG HealTH anD well-BeinG

Gerda Feunekes, Global Director Nutrition Savoury Unilever:

the intake of too much salt significantly increases the risk of high blood pressure.

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taKinG uP the ChallenGe

wiTH real innovaTions

Monique Gerichhausen, Nutrition & Health Manager Unilever Benelux:



“every day we work to further improve the nutritional quality of our products. as a nutritionist i know how important innovations are to this. thanks to breakthrough technology we were able to introduce renewed becel with a modified fat percentage in the netherlands in May 2012. until recently, becel Dieet in the netherlands was a 60% fat product, now we managed to reduce the percentage to 45%. the light version only contains 30% fat. although fats are not bad – in fact, our body needs them – we want to give consumers a choice. renewed becel is for people who want to use less fat without compromising on the intake of good, essential fats, such as alpha-linolenic acid (omega 3) and linoleic acid (omega 6)."

less HarD faT “My colleagues at research & Development have worked on the new technology for years. Part of the making of margarine is the separate mixing of fat-soluble ingredients and water-soluble ingredients. then, these two are added together and an emulsion is made. the new technology enables the hard fat that is needed for the typical margarine texture to be added later in the process, so we need less of it."

foresiGHT“Dietitians who say that people who eat healthy and varied food and get enough exercise do not have to use low-fat products, are right. energy intake and energy use are in fact in balance then. but the reality is that obesity is a growing problem. i think manufacturers should play a role there, by offering quality products with a lower fat content. and with all our expertise we are taking up the challenge. our unilever sustainable living Plan is helping us. it provides direction, stimulates and makes efforts visible. i am proud to work at a company with such foresight. because that is what is needed to leave the world to our children in good condition.”

www.becel.be / www.becel.nl

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until recently, becel Dieet in the netherlands was a 60% fat product, now we managed to reduce the percentage to 45%.

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Esther van Spronsen, Senior Brand Building Manager Skin Unilever The Netherlands:

“'which Kate winslet do you like best? Kate in a sports outfit or Kate on the red carpet, in evening dress with matching accessories and makeup? "one of the questions we ask secondary school students at the Dove self esteem workshop. this lesson package helps adolescent girls to develop a better self-image in a playful way. since 2006 the Dutch Municipal health services have organised the workshop during theme weeks in schools. this way we have already reached 400,000 young girls in the netherlands. the most frequent answer? "Kate in evening dress - much nicer," is what the girls say, while the boys say, "the other Kate is probably a lot more fun!"

THe proBlem is sHifTinG “what follows is a group discussion in which it quickly becomes apparent that everyone has their insecurities. entering into dialogue with this group is really necessary! our surveys show that only 4% of all women worldwide find themselves beautiful. in the netherlands the percentage is even lower, 1%! and the problem – low self-esteem, insecurity – is shifting. from adolescent girls to even younger girls aged nine, ten. it even causes six out of ten girls to stop doing what they like, such as ballet, swimming lessons or gymnastics. that is why it is important that we have increased the ambition in our unilever sustainable living Plan: in 2015 we want to have helped 15 million girls worldwide with our educational programmes."

Dove self-esTeem monTH “to gain a large target audience’s attention in one go, in the netherlands we have created the Dove self esteem Month which was held in november 2012. During that month we organised various activities and workshops for young girls to help them increase their self-confidence. and for their mothers, who are important links. Just imagine: a mother who is visibly dissatisfied with her appearance – who is always dieting and, for example, always compulsively looks at herself in the mirror… it directly influences their daughters’ self-esteem. i believe that the attention unilever pays to health and well-being and the concrete targets in our Plan are unique and relevant in the beauty industry. it makes me proud that together we can actually influence the behaviour of these girls.”

www.dove.com

and the problem is shifting; from adolescent girls to girls aged nine or ten.


HelpinG To raise seLF-esTeeM aLL OVer THe WOrLD


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Unilever Food Solutions helps chefs worldwide to prepare delicious, nutritious meals, so that their customers keep coming back.

Edwin van Gent, Chef at Unilever Food Solutions:

wHy noT poacH a FiLLeT OF BeeF?

“at your favourite restaurant, would you choose to have fries or a baked potato? i wouldn’t hesitate for a second and go for the potato; much tastier. our world Menu report – an annual survey of consumer needs focusing on eating out of home – shows that consumers in a restaurant are definitely charmed by the healthier options on the menu, but that they would also like to treat themselves to something really tasty.”

small nUances“as a chef, i love to demonstrate to chefs that healthier food can taste really good and that by adding small touches to their star dishes they can make a positive contribution to the health of their guests. by using less bad fats and more vegetables, you can easily make a meal much healthier. so, why not poach your fillet of beef for once in a rich beef stock with seaweed and crispy spring onions?"

"and a tip: serve with chopsticks and your guests will eat more consciously and will feel full faster. and if you replace those heavy sauces and gravy – often made with plenty of starch – with lighter variants, and always serve them separately so your guests can decide how much they add...”

Green Tea nooDles “also important are the presentation and the descriptions on the menu: a guest is more likely to choose pink roast beef, instead of the burger, if you give the dish an attractive name. and few people will get excited by a dish with buckwheat noodles, whereas organic green tea noodles – same product, different name – captures the imagination much more. in this way we are helping chefs to have their guests choose a healthier meal and thus we are making a contribution to tackling the growing obesity problem. nice job, isn’t it?!”

www.unileverfoodsolutions.be www.unileverfoodsolutions.nl www.unileverfoodsolutions.com

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Jan van Noord, Manager Quality, Safety, Health & Environment Unilever The Netherlands:

“in our new power plant electricity is generated by a gas engine. the heat generated in this process is collected and reused, which basically provides the greatest environmental benefits. it is state-of-the-art machinery, which has enabled us to reduce energy consumption and Co2 emissions by a quarter, which is equivalent to the annual consumption of approximately 1,700 Dutch households. with the ambitions of the unilever sustainable living Plan as a starting point, the commitment and the means to manage something this big were fully present. so, the investment was not the biggest problem. it was primarily a challenge to build the new power plant and decommission the old one while keeping production running. every day, more than a thousand pallets of finished products leave the door here, so a day without electricity is not an option!”

moTivaTinG colleaGUes“but we are doing more to reduce our environmental impact. since 2011 we are working with one single waste treatment company that recycles all our waste. for example, our margarine waste can now be used for power generation and biodiesel. what i'd like is the minor improvements – such as separating waste, switching off the lights more often and waste water reduction – becoming even more visible to employees. through better communication, we can further increase their commitment. i think it is important and also fun to motivate my colleagues and further involve them in the big sustainability ambitions of our business. at home i am quite fanatical at being environmentally aware, it's great that here i can do things on a larger scale. My next challenge? although all our waste is already recycled, it should definitely be possible to reduce the total amount of waste by 10% per year in the coming years.”

but we are doing more to reduce our environmental impact. since 2011 we are working with one single waste treatment company that recycles all our waste.


reDUcinG environmenTal impacT

Of all measures taken in the past year to reduce energy consumption and CO2 emissions

in our factory at the rotterdam Nassaukade, commissioning the newly built power plant

has had by far the most impact.

QUITE FANATICAL AT BEING ENVIRONMENTALLY AWARE AT HOME, HERE I CAN DO THINGS

on a larGer scale

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Marieke Bos, Brand Manager Unox, Unilever The Netherlands:

"when i joined unilever in 2010, i associated unox primarily with the fun of the new Year’s Dive and eating sausage and mash together. until – very soon afterwards – i started receiving emails from concerned animal rights groups about abuses in the meat-processing industry. and although the reality is less severe than the videos on the internet would have you believe, it still pained me. so i decided: more animal-friendly meat in our unox products, it just had to be possible! our unilever sustainable living Plan supported me in that thought. the management offered me the chance to explore the possibilities, and with a team of five and a camera we took to the road, visited pig farms – to map out our entire supply chain. we worked in close cooperation with the Dutch animal Protection organisation (Dierenbescherming) and interviewed stakeholders and consumers, visited abattoirs, scientists, and farmers of course, who are assessed against the Dierenbescherming’s star system. that’s how we gained a very good insight into the problems and the opportunities for improvement.”

loTs of calcUlaTions“the biggest challenge was to get the necessary amount of animal-friendly meat together. we made lots of calculations during that period: how much meat is needed to ensure production and where can we buy that type of meat? we knew that it would not be feasible to make the complete switch all at

once. luckily, we found farmers in scotland who could deliver. eventually, we were able to make huge steps in just one year: we managed to produce one third of our smoked sausages with one-star beter leven (better life) meat, and in 2012 this increased to 60%. in addition, we introduced the unox free-range smoked sausages (boeren scharrelrookworst) – a new smoked sausage with two beter leven stars, which surpassed all our expectations. Despite the mild winter we sold no less than 1.2 million! Yes, the switch to beter leven meat is a triple win: consumers get delicious smoked sausages, 500,000 animals already have better lives, and our sales have increased. to me this proves that sustainability and growth go hand in hand. and we will even go further. of course! from the first quarter of 2013 our Kipknaks will be made with chicken with one beter leven star.”

www.unox.nl / www.beterleven.dierenbescherming.nl

MOre aNiMaL-FrieNDLY MeaT?

it Just haD to be Possible!

reDUcinG environmenTal impacT

500,000 pigs already have better lives.


Unilever in the benelUx 2013 GrowinG toGether for a sustainable future14

GEZONDHEID EN WELZIJN VERBETEREN

14 Unilever in THe BenelUX 2013 GrowinG toGether for a sustainable future

sUsTainaBle soUrcinG

1515

there’s no better assiGnMent

Willem Sleurs, Business Team Leader Ice Cream Unilever Belgium:

“Much of the motivation in the application letter i sent to unilever in 2003 was about my wish for my work to have a positive impact on the people around me and the world at large. that wish has certainly come true! with our worldwide unilever sustainable living Plan we really are making a ripple, and we can grow our business while making our planet more beautiful and healthier. the collaboration between Magnum, our biggest ice cream brand, and the rainforest alliance is a good example. by 2015 we will source 100% of the cocoa we use worldwide in our Magnum ice cream from rainforest alliance Certified™ plantations.”

BeTTer livinG anD workinG conDiTions“by working together with the rainforest alliance, we are helping to improve the lives and working conditions of some 40,000 farm families in countries such as ecuador, Ghana and the ivory Coast. as they will be able to produce more and better-quality cocoa, their incomes will improve. also, their children will have better access to education and health care. finally, efforts are made to protect and improve the flora and fauna, the water and the soil around the cocoa plantations. by using the best-quality cocoa beans and communicating the rainforest alliance certification on the packs, we are also strengthening Magnum’s position as ‘indulgence ice cream with the best chocolate’. the decision to source all our cocoa sustainably gives me the confidence that we as unilever are really making a difference. working together towards a more sustainable world. i can hardly imagine a better assignment for me to work on every day.”

www.mymagnum.be / www.mymagnum.nl / www.mymagnum.com

the decision to source all our cocoa sustainably gives me the confidence that we as unilever are really making a difference.

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Rebecca Marmot, Global External Affairs Director, Unilever:

many small creeks make a BiG river"it is something we take for granted, but for nearly 800 million people it is an unattainable vital necessity: clean and safe drinking water. Currently, every 20 seconds a child dies from a disease caused by polluted drinking water. for this reason we launched waterworks™, through the unilever foundation and together with Psi (Population services international). this programme has a groundbreaking approach. it brings facebook users worldwide into direct contact with communities and people to whom clean drinking water is merely a utopian dream, for instance in bhopal and Madhya Pradesh in india."

"by making a small daily donation, the facebookers contribute directly – and visibly – to the solution. because they partner with a Psi-trained waterworker they are kept informed in real time of what is being done with their donation.”

women from THese commUniTies“i think it’s great that by doing so, waterworks also plays a role in the emancipation of women. waterworkers – all women from these communities – are trained to provide information about the dangers of polluted drinking water. they pass on their knowledge to their fellow villagers. waterworks gives them many benefits: a basic income, communication skills and of course clean water for their own families. i am convinced that facebook’s enormous reach and power can really make a big difference towards clean and safe drinking water for everyone. after all, many small creeks together make up one big river. so: register via www.joinwaterworks.com and www.facebook.com/waterworks and spread the word!”

enHancinG liveliHooDs

waterworkers are trained to provide information about the dangers of polluted drinking water.


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our 15 Most iMPortant MarGarine ProDuCts in tubs (beCel, blue banD anD Planta) now Contain

Less THaN 33% saTuraTeD FaT as Part of the total aMount of fat.

77% of our beneluX Portfolio now Meets the tarGet of 6 GraMs of salt Per DaY anD

50% MeeTs THe TargeT OF 5 graMs OF saLT per DaY. read more about salt reduction on page 4.

liPton iCe tea Green now has

30% FeWer CaLOries THaN BeFOre: 30% of the suGar was rePlaCeD bY steviol GlYCosiDes, a natural sweetener froM the stevia Plant.

the Co2 eMission froM our beneluX faCtories in 2011 was

42% LOWer THaN iN 2008 in Part Due to the switCh to DarK Green eleCtriCitY.

all ben & JerrY's flavours now bear the MaX havelaar loGo. its 42 inGreDients are thus fairtraDe-CertifieD:

WHiCH Has iMprOVeD THe LiVes OF MOre THaN 22,000 sMaLL FarMers.

in 2011, 64% (2010: 37%) of our PalM oil PurChases was sustainable. at the enD of 2012, in euroPe, we will use

100% rspO CerTiFieD paLM OiL.

in the netherlanDs unilever suPPorts the fooD banK with an annual ChristMas haMPer aCtion for faMilies in rotterDaM.

iN 2012 5,500 CHrisTMas HaMpers Were DONaTeD.

More information about the results that we booked is available on www.unilever.be / www.unilever.nl – Duurzaam leven

2011/2012 HigHLigHTs ProGress of unilever sustainable livinG Plan in the beneluX

our visionWe work to create a better future every day.

We help people feel good, look good and get more out of life with brands and services that are good for them and good for others.

We will inspire people to take small, everyday actions that can add up to a big difference for the world.

We will develop new ways of doing business with the aim of doubling the size of our company while reducing our environmental impact.

arounD

€1 BillioninvesteD annuallY in r&D worlDwiDe

ProDuCts on the MarKet in over 190

coUnTries

everY DaY

2 BillionPeoPle use a unilever ProDuCt

everY Year ConsuMers buY

170 Billion unilever ProDuCts

Unilever in THe BenelUX 2013 GrowinG toGether for a sustainable future18

Unilever in the world

over 172,000eMPloYees (enD 2012)

turnover

€51.3 Billion(2012)

Unilever in THe worlD anD in THe BenelUX

turnover More than

€1.6 Billion (2012)

aPProXiMatelY 3,800 employees(about 3,200 in the netherlanDs anD about 600 in belGiuM)

larGesT a-BranD manUfacTUrerof ConsuMer ProDuCts

THe larGesT aDverTiser

in belGiuM anD the netherlanDs

Portfolio of over

40 sTronG BranDs

Unilever in the Benelux

Official Ice Teasymfonie van talent

partnerships Benelux

our factories in the Benelux

DuurZaMe TOppers aWarD 2011 nl: sDu Publishers; for the unilever

sustainable livinG Plan

FOr THe 14TH CONseCuTiVe Year uNiLeVer is LeaDer iN THe

FOOD prODuCers seCTOrof the Dow Jones sustainabilitY inDeXes (DJsi)

gOOD DairY aWarD CoMPassion in worlD farMinG;

for ben & JerrY’s

gOOD CHiCKeN aWarD CCoMPassion in worlD farMinG;

for unoX KiPKnaKs, nl

uNiLeVer iN TOp 10 OF preFerreD eMpLOYers

aMonG DutCh universitY stuDents

gOOD egg aWarD CoMPassion in worlD farMinG;

for ben & JerrY’s

raNDsTaD aWarD Most attraCtive CoMPanY to

worK for, nl

saM (susTaiNaBLe asseT MaNageMeNT) GolD Class awarD 2012

read all about our partnerships on www.unilever.be / www.unilever.nl – over ons/sponsoring & partnerships

Tea(lipton)

iCe CreaM (ben & Jerry’s, hertog, Magnum after Dinner)

sOups, sauCes, sMOKeD sausage (bertolli, Knorr and unox)

MargariNe aND peaNuT BuTTer (including becel, blue band and Calvé)

BrUssels oss

HellenDoorn roTTerDam

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external recognition

unilever Belgium N.V.Humaniteitslaan 292, 1190 Brussels

T +32 (0)2 – 333 66 66

unilever Nederland B.V.Postbus 160, 3000 AD Rotterdam

T +31 (0)10 – 439 49 11

unilever Nederland Holdings B.V.Postbus 760, 3000 DK Rotterdam

T +31 (0)10 – 217 40 00

unilever Food solutionsBE Humaniteitslaan 292, 1190 Brussels

T +32 (0)800 – 161 21

NL Nassaukade 5, 3071 JL Rotterdam

Postbus 1250, 3000 BG Rotterdam

T +31 (0)10 – 439 43 08

unilever research & Development

Olivier van Noortlaan 120,

3133 AT Vlaardingen

Postbus 114, 3130 AC Vlaardingen

T +31 (0)10 – 460 69 33

the contact details of all our locations can be found on www.unilever.be / www.unilever.nl - Contact

unilever 2013 in the benelux › images › unileverinthebenelux2013e... · 2020-06-11 · unilever...

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