Sustainability
at Picard
Sustainability is an important priority at PICARD and is taken into account in every area of the company.
Within the framework of our corporate activities, we want to make an active contribution to achieving the sustainability goals of the United Nations' Agenda 2030.
All colleagues should pay attention to resource conservation and ecological action in their work and contribute their ideas and suggestions for improvement on sustainable topics.
In recent years, we have implemented a wide range of measures to save energy and resources.
We offer our customers a range of around 50,000 articles for immediate dispatch. This requires a storage area of over 10,000 m2 to be illuminated. In recent years, efficient LED luminaires have already been installed in many areas as part of our expansion.
In addition, existing luminaires have been and will continue to be replaced with energy-efficient LED technology. In some areas, daylight-dependent and time-switched controls have been installed. Through these measures, an annual saving of approx. 130,000 kWh was achieved.
This corresponds to 20% of our total electricity consumption. In addition, the lighting in the shelving systems is controlled by presence detectors. This reduces the lighting time by about 50%, saving another 80,000 kWh per year.
Efficient use of resources as well as reducing waste and recycling are important goals in optimising our warehouse processes.
When selecting our packaging materials, we consistently look for environmentally friendly solutions. The filling material for the parcels consists of 100% recycled paper, the shipping cartons between 41% and 100%, depending on the size. Our pallets, wooden collars and lids are made of 100% recycled material. The edge protector for strapping bands made of plastic has been replaced with an alternative made of cardboard.
For various other commodities (e.g. plastic pressure bags for small parts or document pouches) we are actively looking for environmentally friendly solutions. As soon as a sustainable option is found, it will be implemented as quickly as possible after successful testing.
Paperless order picking with the help of mobile data capture devices, digital invoice dispatch and the switch to digital invoice management not only increase the efficiency of our processes, but also save more than 400,000 sheets of A4 paper every year.
For the export of our goods to third countries, we are working together with our shipping service providers to transmit all customs documents digitally. In addition, the printing of labels for internal processes is kept to a minimum.
When redesigning processes, we make sure to avoid waste. This refers not only to the use of materials, but especially to the use of our employees' labour. Processes are thus constantly scrutinised and questioned in order to identify and eliminate waste.
Since 2020, our vehicle fleet has only been expanded to include electric or hybrid vehicles. We have installed charging points for our employees to charge electric and hybrid cars at low cost.
With a spacious bicycle shelter with free charging facilities and a bike leasing offer, we want to promote environmentally friendly mobility for our employees.
In our canteen we offer freshly-prepared, healthy, organic meals.
In our fitness room, in addition to free use, there is also the opportunity to participate in Yoga and Pilates classes as well as individual training with a personal trainer to achieve personal fitness and health goals.
In order to increase our impact across a network of ecologically committed companies, we have been participating in the EcoProfit® project since August 2021 and will receive our EcoProfit® certification in September 2022.
A wide range of measures have been and are being developed with the active participation of the entire workforce, which contribute to the conservation of resources. This process will be continued after completion of the certification.
PICARD was founded 100 years ago. In light of this anniversary, we want to continue to increase our focus on sustainability to ensure that we can reduce the impact we have on our environment as much as possible.
In this special year, we would like to promote very different sustainability projects and fulfil our environmental responsibility. Under the heading "Project100", we will support climate protection organisations and the people who are committed to them.
This includes the preservation and expansion of natural areas to reduce CO2 impact, the reduction of plastic waste in wetlands, or the support of innovative research projects. All so that we can move towards a sustainable and abundant future, together.
