b-green!
A Look Behind the Sustainable Scenes of b-token
Sustainability in our DNA
Since we started in 2008, our focus has been on sustainability. It is high on the agenda in all our business departments.
In our early years, we made our tokens only in hard-wearing plastic, with the intention of reusing the products again and again. Not long after our start-up, we turned to producing our tokens in alternative materials. For instance, we like to work with recycled materials such as the fishing net and chewing gum tokens. But we also incorporate natural, biodegradable materials, such as our biodegradable tokens made from starch and wood waste.
We are also making our building more sustainable wherever possible. The roof is full of solar panels that already allow us to cover 25% of our electricity consumption, with auto-consumption at over 90%. We have had a geothermal heat pump since 2019, allowing us to reduce further heating and cooling to an absolute minimum. Combined with a system of continuous air measurement, our ventilation works very energy-efficiently, allowing us to guarantee a healthy indoor climate for all colleagues.
CO₂-neutral
CO₂ emissions are inevitable in a production environment where orders are also exported worldwide. Yet we do not take satisfaction in this and undertake all kinds of initiatives. For example, we strive for Carbon Neutral Shipping when sending our packages and regularly plant trees with the entire team to compensate for emitted CO₂.
As a result, we have been CO₂-neutral in scope 1 and 2 (our direct emissions) since 2022. Meanwhile, we are working hard with our suppliers to tackle our indirect emissions as well.
0% waste policy
The waste generated during our production is completely reprocessed in our own manufacturing process. Should there still be waste that we cannot process ourselves, it is recycled by an external partner.
All our customers may also return their b-token tokens so that we can regrind them into raw materials for new tokens. In return, customers will receive a 5% discount on a new order.
Energy monitoring dashboard
To keep our finger on the pulse, we constantly measure energy consumption throughout the company. We track this via an online energy monitoring dashboard, co-developed by students from the local college. Using this dashboard, we have a nice analysis of the daily consumption per machine and can quickly identify major energy guzzlers.
Based on this monitoring tool, we can substantiate replacement of obsolete machines using, for instance, their consumption and fault level as benchmarks. We recently replaced some of our machines in this way with models that consume much less. This is because the new machines are servo-hydraulic, which means the pump does not run continuously, but adjusts to the pressure required for the machine's movements. The consumption of these machines is up to 3 times lower.
How ISO?
Since 2016, we have been ISO-certified for both quality ISO 9001, and environment ISO 14001. To this end, we are subject to an annual external audit that looks at whether we comply with the ISO standards and where there may be room for improvement.
Sustainable Development Goals
The United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are the common thread of our vision, strategy and values. These were established in 2015 as a universal sustainability agenda by 2030. At b-token, we consciously choose to work on all 17 sustainability goals. Some actions we take are small, others large and strategic and deal, for example, with affordable, sustainable energy, responsible consumption and production, as well as climate action.
There is certainly also a social side to sustainability, where we think for instance about the well-being of our colleagues. For instance, we work hard on ergonomics and healthy food. We also work closely with schools and knowledge institutions to spread our values and standards in society.
The Shift
With b-token, we have been a member of The Shift since 2017, this is a Belgian initiative that creates a network for companies that pays attention to corporate social responsibility. Through this partnership, companies come together and share their experiences in terms of sustainability