17. January 2022

Optimum Group™ leads the way with all-round CSR policy

Sustainable business is a frequently heard term in the business world. Optimum Group™, a versatile group of printing companies specialising in UV Flexo web printing and digital printing, is also clearly responding to this and is implementing it in its policy in various ways. Sustainability is of paramount importance in all activities of the group. It is at the heart of all processes and innovations, with the ultimate goal of reducing environmental impact.

Within Optimum Group™, the focus in terms of corporate social responsibility (CSR) is on the environment, climate/energy, raw material scarcity, labour and community involvement. Optimum Group™ tries to respond to all these issues to the best of its ability by properly carrying out its activities in compliance with laws and regulations. To limit its environmental impact, Optimum Group™ uses the three Ps as a guideline: People, Planet and Profit.

People
Optimum Group™ puts the well-being and safety of its employees first. First aid training is provided and an AED is available in every building. The Optimum Academy also offers various training courses to ensure that employees continue to develop. The employee's development is discussed in evaluation interviews. Human resource experts ensure that working conditions are extremely positive to be able to work productively within Optimum Group™. To improve the atmosphere, there are staff associations that ensure that fun outings are organised within the companies on a regular basis. These include Christmas drinks and a summer barbecue.

Planet
To ensure that Optimum Group™ has as little impact on the environment as possible, the group takes various environmentally friendly measures. For example, the buildings in Breda and Alkmaar are fitted with solar panels and our locations in Breda and Enschede are lit by LED lights. Optimum Group™ also has electric cars to reduce fuel consumption. Energy is also reused; the presses used by the printing companies within the group produce a lot of heat. This heat is reused to heat the premises. In addition, a 100m2 buffer zone with indigenous plants has been created to guarantee a gradual transition between industrial zone, nature zone and nature reserve. This was done in cooperation with the local nature organisation. The grounds around the buildings are also kept clean by the local social green service. They only use natural means to combat, for example, weeds. The raw materials policy has also been scrutinised. The wood that is used, the raw material for the paper, comes for the most part from responsibly managed forests in Northern Europe, especially Scandinavia. The proportion of forest managed under PEFC and FSC labels is increasing strongly. By using raw materials with an eco-label, Optimum Group™ tries to make its products as environmentally friendly as possible.

Profit
Optimum Group™ tries to contribute as much as possible to make the world a better place. The group supports various social causes, such as Clini-clowns, Cancer League, Rotary, De Wroeter (the social green service) and sponsors Duchenne Heroes and Breda Beach. In addition, Optimum Group™ continuously invests in the production process in order to make use of environment-saving techniques as much as possible, such as the use of solar panels. A sustainable purchasing policy is also applied, ensuring that there are fewer CO2 emissions. All inks used are water-based and UV-dried. In addition, a study is being carried out into the total elimination of solvents in auxiliary agents; no use of solvents in raw materials. We also use rainwater to cool the printing presses and focus on waste separation. All the above measures make the Optimum Group™ a profitable organisation that takes its environment into account.