Similar to EPS, LPR developed its SOI collaboratively, involving all levels in all countries of operation. LPR’s Culture Working Group consists of 35 representatives, coming from each country and function level. The representatives participated in workshops and interviews to work out the new values. “Our brand is being built by all our people and the only way to be successful is to work together, hence our mission statement Together towards a sustainable future,” explains Clarisse. “The underlying values are being smart, expert, agile, committed and inventive. Our people feel connected to these new values. We developed a value compass to guide our employees in putting the values into practice. We also organised workshops in each country to reflect on what these values represent in people’s daily work.” Nicole fully supports this: “It needs to come from our people”. EPS also uses a value compass of its renewed values to evaluate internal meetings, and to jointly reflect on performance. Clarisse adds, “We believe that an engaged workforce as well as working together with a common vision are essential for our success and growth as a sustainable company. Therefore, we need team support and commitment. Every employee is important in pursuing our mission Together towards a sustainable future. When we work together towards reaching our goals, it is important that we all know what we are aiming for and how we can achieve this.”

In 2021, the focus is on further integration to ensure our mission and core-values are well-understood and are promoted by all employees. Nicole and Clarisse agree that this is a key driver for building long-term efficiencies and partnerships in the value chain, and for maximising circularity at EPG.

In 2020, EPS further implemented its SOI ‘Maximising Circular Value’ (MCV) across all regions. We organised workshops for the regional management teams to drive the implementation of MCV and its core values, and every country of operation now has a small team of MCV ambassadors. MCV is present at all levels at EPS: from local offices to regions, and at the strategic level. Cross-cutting topics are discussed at corporate level, and each region focuses on its specific issues. “In Germany for instance, we introduced a ‘Motto of the Week’ that is connected to one of the core values,” Nicole explains. “We communicate ideas and initiatives to be more sustainable during a regular workday. This could be about waste separation at the office, sustainable commuting or using resources such as water, paper and soap prudently.”

Looking at the immediate future, further digital integration (such as improved stock management) and operational integration (such as in-house return centres) will be key to increasing our impact in the fresh supply chain even further. Great and innovative examples of this are included in this report, such as the REMA return centre in Denmark and our work on traceability. “By working together with our colleagues and partners, we drive efficiency in the fresh supply chain, even in the middle of a pandemic.”

“At Euro Pool System, circularity is at the heart of our business model”, Frank van Gorp explains. “Sustainability is an integral part of our operations and supply chain. By providing our customers with reusable trays, we lower their carbon footprint and contribute to the transition to a circular economy. Our objective is to ensure a quick turnaround of our trays, by reducing transport movements, lowering costs and limiting the use of plastics. This requires a rigorous focus on optimising our own performance, driving innovation and working together with our supply chain partners to maximise the circular value of the fresh supply chain.”

“As circularity is such a large part of what we do at EPS, internal activation is key. At all levels of our organisation we engage with our customers, supporting them to realise their sustainability ambitions. It is crucial to ensure that all our partners are on board and understand the benefits that reusable trays bring to the full supply chain. We look beyond our own operations and want to be an enabler for others.”