The start of our sustainable journey
Why did we start?
Our company has already been incorporating several aspects of sustainability into our operations. However, up until now, we lacked a clearly defined sustainability policy. By establishing concrete goals, we can take more deliberate and impactful steps in this area. Because our ambition extends beyond producing high-quality products. We are committed to create a better environment for today’s generation and leaving a lasting, meaningful legacy for those to come.
How did we start?
We wanted to give everyone the opportunity to help shape our company ’ s sustainability efforts. To make this possible, we invited one representative from each department to join our Green Team. Together, we brainstormed and identified five key sustainability goals. Each team member then collaborated with their department to explore practical steps toward achieving these goals.
Once we had gathered everyone ’ s input, we focused on simple, immediate actions. Such as removing paper cups from the office, alongside more significant, long-term changes. We also collected data to understand our current sustainability performance and to pinpoint the areas where we can make the greatest impact.
One person per department
Brainstorm with Green Team
action steps
Our proud moments of 2024
We’re excited to share some of the first steps we ’ ve taken on our sustainability journey. Some actions may seem small, but we believe every step counts and each one contributes to meaningful change.
We’ve eliminated paper coffee cups from the office to reduce waste.
By partnering with a new forwarder, we ’ ve begun offsetting CO₂ emissions from our shipments. This year, 903 trees were planted in Tanzania. We donated 250 brand-new teapots with minor cosmetic imperfections to the Voedselbank (Food Bank).
A total of 950 items with minor defects were donated to Kringloop Nederland (a Dutch reuse and thrift network).
Fresh fruit and a weekly lunch, sourced from local entrepreneurs and farmers, are now available in the office.
Our entire team took part in a coffee course to deepen our understanding of coffee products. It was not only educational but also a great team-building experience.
We started working with Synergy to develop a clear future strategy to guide our day-to-day operations.
Who is the Bredemeijer Group
Who is working for the Bredemeijer Group
Bredemeijer Group is proud to be a diverse and inclusive company with a balanced workforce.
Our team consists of 27 employees, with an equal representation of men and women fostering a dynamic and well-rounded work environment. We also value cultural diversity, with professionals from various nationalities contributing their unique perspectives and expertise to our shared success.
16 women| 11 men
Where do we work
Bredemeijer Group’s headquarters is strategically located in the heart of the Netherlands, in the charming town of Utrecht.
This central location is easily accessible and serves as the main hub for the company ’ s operations. To support a healthy work-life balance, all employees have the option to work from home one day per week.
Where do we sell our products
Bredemeijer Group products are available in 50 countries worldwide and through a wide range of online channels.
50 countries
Where do we source our products BREDEMEIJER
COUNTRIES
Where do we source our products
Having a good relationship with our suppliers is important to us.
Strong supplier relationships are a cornerstone of how we operate. We’ve built long-term, trusted partnerships with most of our suppliers. Enabling us to align on shared goals, improve product quality and work more efficiently together.
Currently, the majority of our collection is manufactured in China. Looking ahead, we plan to complement our Chinese partnerships with suppliers closer to home. At the same time, maintaining consistent product quality is essential. We’re also mindful of our responsibility to existing suppliers and their employees and we are committed to ensuring they are not left without work or support as we evolve our sourcing strategy.
We currently collaborate with 37 factories, most of which hold BSCI or SEDEX certification. This certificate is an indicator of socially responsible and ethical working conditions. Going forward, we aim to further increase the number of certified partners in our supply chain.
We currently collaborate with 37 factories, most of which hold BSCI or SEDEX certification. This certificate is an indicator of socially responsible and ethical working conditions. Going forward, we aim to further increase the number of certified partners in our supply chain.
01 Reduce CO₂ emissions and minimize waste
Our mission goes beyond producing high-quality products. We are equally committed to creating a better environment for today's generation and leaving a meaningful legacy for the future. To support this, we are focusing on reducing CO₂ emissions and minimizing waste throughout our entire product delivery process. The following two sustainability strategies are key to achieving this goal.
02 Reuse of products
We believe that extending the lifespan of our products not only reduces waste but also helps lower CO₂ emissions. That’s why we consider repairing an item is a more sustainable choice than replacing it To support this, we offer all spare parts as standard.
03 Conscious use of materials in products and packaging
By selecting high-quality materials, we ensure our products have a longer lifespan, leading to less waste and lower CO₂ emissions. We are increasingly focusing on the sustainability of the materials we use. In future product development, we aim to incorporate more recycled materials and use FSC-certified wood wherever possible.
Packaging is another key area of attention. By reducing plastic, using smaller packaging, and choosing FSC-certified cardboard, we strive to minimize our environmental footprint and contribute to a more sustainable future.
04 Encouraging inclusivity and well-being
We believe in providing equal opportunities for all individuals, regardless of their background or identity, ensuring everyone feels welcome, respected, and valued. To foster this, we are committed to creating a workplace where tasks can be performed comfortably and organizing activities that strengthen team spirit. Additionally, we prioritize working with suppliers who hold valid social audits, such as those certified by Amfori BSCI or SEDEX SMETA, to ensure responsible and ethical practices across our supply chain.
05 Transparency
Transparency is a core value at our company and we prioritize maintaining open communication with all our partners. Our goal is to build clearer and more transparent communication with our customers, sharing who we are and what we stand for. We believe that transparent communication encourage greater understanding, clarity, and trust.
01 Reduce CO2 consumption and waste
Although our office is based in the Netherlands, we source our products from suppliers who mostly produce abroad. Our direct emissions come mainly from office activities like heating and business travel. However, most of our indirect emissions occur across the supply chain, during production, transportation and the disposal of our products by customers. Since CO₂ emissions contribute to global warming, which negatively affects people, animals and the environment, we have started making more conscious choices to reduce our carbon footprint. We’ve started relying on green power in our office and worked to minimize product waste over the past year. We've switched to electric office cars, cutting CO₂ emissions from business travel by car by 28% between 2022 and 2024. Additionally, we ’ ve begun offsetting the CO₂ emissions generated by transporting products from production sites to our warehouse.
ForestNation
In 2024, we proudly partnered with ForestNation, an organization dedicated to reforestation and environmental restoration. Through this collaboration, we are planting trees in Tanzania to offset the CO₂ emissions generated by shipping our products from production countries to our warehouse. As a result, we have planted 903 trees this year, helping to compensate 23 tons of CO₂. Which is equivalent to driving around the world 4,8 times.
903 trees planted Compensate 23 ton of CO₂
Goals for CO2 reduction in the future
We currently have a good understanding of our company ’ s Scope 1 CO2 emissions. In the coming year, we aim to gain better insights into the CO2 emissions associated with the production of each product. By identifying which products contribute more or less to emissions, we can make more informed decisions in this area.
In 2025, we are also planning to move to a new, more sustainable headquarters. The new office will have solar panels, good insulation, and will be easily accessible by public transport. Which is an improvement over our current location. Additionally, we will offer employees more flexibility to work from home, reducing car traffic and lowering CO2 emissions.
We are also committed to transitioning to a fully electric fleet of company cars. The last key focus for next year is to consolidate more shipments to the Netherlands and to our customers, helping to reduce overall CO2 emissions.
Donated B-ware items to Voedselbank Netherlands and the second-hand store
In 2025, we will be moving to a new building. In preparation, we began a thorough cleaning of our old office and came across many samples with minor aesthetic defects. While these items are still fully functional, they couldn't be sold.
Rather than discarding them, we chose to donate them to the Kringloop. This is a Dutch organization with stores where people can purchase second-hand items at affordable prices. In total, we donated 950 items to their stores.
Additionally, we donated 250 teapots with small scratches to the Voedselbank, an organization that provides free food to those in need.
02 Reuse of products
Quality has always been at the core of our company.
The products we create are designed to last for many years and, in some cases, even be passed down through generations. To further extend their lifespan, we offered 190 different spare parts in 2024.
Our Bredemeijer webshop was originally created to offer spare parts to our customers. Over time, we expanded the webshop to include our full range of products. However, we are proud to say that spare parts continue to make up the largest portion of sales on our website. In 2024 alone, we helped extend the life of 3314 teapots, 1386 coffee and tea makers and 107 cutlery sets by providing these spare parts.
Goals for reuse of products in the future
Our goal is to continue our current strategy of offering spare parts for the products in our collection, while also ensuring that spare parts will be available for future product lines.
Articles saved by spare parts in 2024
1386 coffee makers 3314 teapots
cutlery items
03 Conscious use of materials in products and packaging
By choosing high-quality materials, we can extend the lifespan of our products. This is why a large portion of our items are made from Stainless Steel 304 and the majority of our collection is made of borosilicate glass. Additionally, we are working towards increasing the number of our wood products made from FSCcertified wood.
Why do we prefer stainless steel 304
Stainless Steel 304 is a high-quality alloy composed of iron, chromium (approx. 18%), and nickel (approx. 8%). It’s an excellent choice for kitchen equipment due to its resistance to corrosion, rust, and staining, as well as its strength and long-lasting durability.
03 Conscious use of materials in products and packaging
What is FSC wood
FSC wood is sourced from forests certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, ensuring responsible harvesting practices. This certification guarantees that the wood is obtained in an environmentally sustainable, socially beneficial and legally compliant manner. BREDEMEIJER
Why do we prefer borosilicate glass
Borosilicate glass is a more reliable and safer choice due to its durability, excellent heat resistance and ability to withstand rapid temperature changes without cracking or breaking
Materials used in products
ZILVERSTAD
Packaging
We take great care in packaging each product to ensure it arrives in perfect condition, making packaging an integral part of every item we sell. We prefer using FSC-certified gift boxes, though minimum order quantities can sometimes be a constraint. Additionally, we’ve reduced the size of some gift boxes, cutting down on packaging materials and transport space, which helps lower CO₂ emissions.
Oldgiftboxvs.newgiftbox
By the end of 2023, we successfully replaced all inlays in Zilverstad’s children’s cutlery. The previous inlays were not recyclable, but the new material is, contributing to waste reduction and lower CO₂ emissions. We also minimized plastic use by replacing it with tissue paper where possible. For certain items, we retained plastic in the gift boxes to prevent scratching during transport.
Last year, we created an overview of packaging materials by brand, giving us a clear view to plan our future steps.
Overview of the packaging materials
BREDEMEIJER
Overview of the packaging materials
LEOPOLD VIENNA
Overview of the packaging materials
Warehouse materials
To ensure our products reach customers in perfect condition, we ’ ve been using FSCcertified outer cartons for packaging since 2023. Additionally, we ’ ve focused on minimizing empty space to reduce transport volume and CO₂ emissions. Any remaining gaps are filled with shredded old cardboard to prevent movement during shipping.
Goals for the conscious use of materials in products and packaging
One of our goals for the coming year is to convert as many wooden products as possible to FSC-certified wood. A long-term goal is to include more products made from recycled materials in our collection. We are also working on redesigning our packaging to use less ink and exploring whether more packaging can be made from FSC-certified materials, although this is sometimes constrained by minimum order quantities.
04 Encouraging inclusivity and well-being
In collaboration with local entrepreneurs and farmers, we began offering fresh fruit and a healthy lunch every Monday starting in 2024. Additionally, we introduced flexible working hours to help employees better balance work and personal life.
To strengthen team spirit, we organize an annual team outing. Last year, the entire team also participated in a coffee course, which not only deepened everyone ’ s knowledge of our coffee products but also brought the team closer together.
Goals for encouraging inclusivity and well-being in the future
In 2025, we aim to expand the flexibility to work from home. Another major goal is to collaborate with the entire team to create a new, clear mission for Bredemeijer Group. One that inspires and motivates both employees and customers. This mission will go beyond selling products; it will focus on making the world a little better. Finally, we plan to take the first steps in making a meaningful impact together with our colleagues. For example, a day has already been scheduled to volunteer at the local homeless shelter.
05 Transparency
In the past year, we made the decision to be more transparent about who we are, what we do, and why we do it. We started posting behind-the-scenes content on our social media channels. Additionally, we aim to provide more insight into our company through this report, giving you a clear picture of where we currently stand and where we ’ re heading.
Goals for transparency in the future
In the future, we aim to gain deeper insight into our supply chain and CO₂ emissions. This will enable us to share more detailed information about the production side of our company. We also plan to develop a clear mission statement, allowing us to better communicate what we stand for and why we make the choices we do.
Conclusion of 2024
In the past year, we ’ ve taken the first steps toward becoming the more sustainable company we aspire to be. However, there are still many steps ahead on our journey. We must continue building on the positive actions we ' ve already implemented and gain deeper insight into our supply chain to better inform our next steps.
A key focus for 2025 will be to continue the progress we began in 2024.
We’ve partnered with the external company Synergie to help us define a clear direction for the future, developing a solid strategy that will guide our day-to-day operations. Our ultimate goal is to become a purpose-driven company that makes a positive impact on the world. This mission will inspire and unite our employees, aligning everyone with a shared focus. It will be at the heart of all the decisions we make within the company and will help us create a clearer and more effective sustainability strategy.
We look forward to sharing this with you in the coming year!