Section ENVIRONMENT
TOPIC

OLYMPUS
Our vision: “Not to destroy any produced product”

Our vision: “Not to destroy any produced product”

The Society

Continuous program

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), approximately one-third of worldwide food is lost or wasted at some point in the food supply chain. Inefficiencies in the food supply chain and consumption also have a significant impact on the environment. Therefore, reducing food loss and waste can help against malnutrition and climate change.

In our company, the reduction of food waste is a long-term strategic goal of sustainability.

Our main directions in this goal are:

  • We emphasize on prevention, as the benefits of avoiding food waste outweigh dealing with it at a later stage (eg. waste management). As far our company is concerned, the use of modern technology equipment, application and digital tools contributes to the better organization, demand planning and coordination of the production, purchase and sales departments, so that there is a balance of sales forecasting with raw materials demands and production of the respective end products.
  • We educate “our people”, our employees and their families about the need to reduce food waste. As part of our food waste strategy, the company educates the employees about food waste reduction through emails and newsletters. In addition, to inform the family members of our employees, actions are organized, such as kid’s participation in an event with the interactive fairytale “The Dinosayr” through which they had the opportunity to easy learn the concept of food waste.
  • We create awareness to our consumer about the reduction of food waste. Our company’s social media is a very useful information tool to avoid food waste. In addition, many recipes and cooking tips are posted on our company’s website in which the consumer will find various tips using the products and avoiding food waste.
  • Management of Products which are near to expiring date. In our company, we strongly believe that donation of close to the end shelf life products reduce food waste. We have created the “NO FOOD WASTE» team which is responsible for managing products that are close to expiration. More specifically, the products that are close to end of shelf life are monitored, measured and distributed free to the company’s staff or donated to non- profit organizations.

 

  •  Production and Use of biogas. The last solution for a product that cannot be consumed for any reason is to end up, not in the waste, but in the biogas production unit. Biogas is an innovative investment with the aim of both environmental and energy benefit by installing an anaerobic wastewater treatment system to the use of the by-products which come up from the production procedure. It is a unit which all liquid waste from company’s facilities is anaerobically treatment and biogas is produced. Biogas is used as an energy source replacing much of the conventional fossil fuels.The biogas amount which is produced during the last three years in our facility is significant, contributing both to waste management and to the production of “green” energy by reducing carbon footprint.

Collaboration with the non-profit organization “Boroume”. “Boroume”

Collaboration with the not Profitable Organization «Boroume». «Boroume» has to do with the collective effort of a group of people who try to reduce food waste and at the same time increase the food supply in Greece. ((https://www.boroume.gr/)

In 2022, we participated in the «Food & Offer Rescue» network of «Boroume» and we supported the message “No portion of food wasted”. The company made a significant contribution, managing save millions of food portions and support hundreds of charity organizations in Greece. Based on calculations, it is estimated that the company offered 10.015 portions of food in 2022 through Boroume collaboration.

Our company is an official member of “Food Saving Alliance”. An initiative of the «Boroume» organization and AB VASILOPOULOS retailer which is constantly expanding and gaining multiplicative dynamics. In this effort, public authorities, professional and scientific operators, food and catering companies from all stages of the supply chain, civil society organizations, academic and research communities join forces (https://foodsavingalliancegreece.gr/).

 

Our people are the first to educate and spread the message about the need to reduce food waste.

Greece

OLYMPOS certification for the strategy to reduce food waste.

OLYMPOS was certified for all its actions in limiting and minimizing food waste at all stages of its operation as the first "NO FOOD WASTE" Greek dairy industry.

The certification is a proof that our commitments are put into practice.

In our company, the reduction of food waste is a strategic goal of our sustainable development.

With our no food waste strategy, we achieve:

  • Prevention by any means the loss of food
  • Emphasizing prevention, since the benefits of avoiding food waste outweigh the benefits of dealing with it at a later stage
  • Educate “our people”, our employees and their families about the need to reduce food waste
  • Collaboration with all the members and contribution to develop best practices
  • Donating food closed to shelf life at organizations