Resources and materials

Sustainable and responsible practices for sourcing resources and materials are important for any business, and the potential impact throughout the supply chain must be considered when making sourcing decisions. Various raw materials and chemicals are needed for the manufacture of our products. Especially in the chemical industry, the sustainable use of raw materials is becoming more and more important, as it is key to keeping costs competitive and protecting the environment.

Generally, the use of raw materials and resources has the potential to impact the environment, the economy and society, and at the same time their availability and cost can impact our business. 

Ensuring sound and efficient management of raw materials can reduce the strain on natural resources. Sustainable management of raw materials also has an effect on economic growth by providing workplaces in the production, processing and disposal of raw materials.

Backward integration in the production of our fermentation raw material, glucose syrup, makes our supply chain more sustainable by reducing transportation and energy use for production. Direct sourcing of corn and contracts with regional farmers increases the proximity to our raw material suppliers and enhances transparency regarding product quality. We have established long-term business partnerships with many suppliers, and we source many materials locally around our production sites, where possible.

In addition, by-products from our production processes like corn residues, mother liquors from fermentation, and biomasses from fermentation or waste-water treatment are used in the feed, construction or agricultural input industries, as well as for biogas manufacturing, making our production processes even more sustainable. 

Using fairly produced raw materials and interacting fairly with partners, suppliers and customers has a positive impact on our collaboration with stakeholders, our reputation and thus our business. This further underlines our commitment to responsible corporate behaviour and compliance with laws and regulations. Maintaining a fair and ethical business environment is laid down in our core values. We have integrated a framework of guidelines and policies into our business, ensuring proper interaction with all business partners. This frame- work is communicated to all employees and available on our intranet.

Issues with our supply security can harm not only the company’s assets, but also its reputation and brand. It is therefore essential for businesses such as ours to analyse potential risks that could compromise the security of our supply to customers. It is of the utmost importance to us at Jungbunzlauer that we are a reliable business partner able to guarantee secure supply of our products.

With our various policies and the supplier evaluation process described below, we aim to ensure a compliant, fair and sustainable procurement of materials and resources with regard to social and environmental aspects.