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Continuing to grow with its wasteless company model as a responsible and leading food company, Ülker released the Sustainability Report 2019, covering its economic, social, and environmental sustainability operations. Ülker has recycled 91 percent of its total waste and saved 2,502 MWh energy, which corresponds to the annual consumption of approximately 1,500 households. Through constant improvements in its distribution network since 2014, the company has reduced its mileage by 2.2 million km.

Türkiye’s leading food company Ülker released the 5th Sustainability Report to announce its economic, social, and environmental sustainability performance data for 2019.

Stating that the company is constantly moving towards reaching its goals set under the topics of environment, value chain, innovation, employees, social responsibility, and leadership by 2024, which is the 80th anniversary of its foundation, Ülker CEO Mete Buyurgan added:

“As a result of nearly 150 improvement initiatives realized last year as part of our operational excellence approach, we have saved 16.2 million TL. Thanks to efforts to achieve zero waste in our operations, we have managed to recycle 91 percent of our total waste. We have also installed energy monitoring systems in all our factories and thus activated instant monitoring. We have saved 2,502 MWh energy, which corresponds to the annual consumption of approximately 1,500 households. We have reduced our water consumption per unit production by 31.2 percent, which is equivalent to the daily water consumption of a city with a population of 3.2 million. By achieving this rate, we have already surpassed our goal of reaching 30 percent water consumption reduction by 2024. We benefit from the power of innovation to understand consumer needs, offer new products, and improve available products, while also minimizing our environmental impact. We have increased our R&D and innovation budgets by 35 percent. We have completed 213 of 372 projects developed for improving new products, processes, and quality. Through initiatives to reduce packaging, we cut our material use by 355 tons in plastic, 96 tons in paper and 10 tons in aluminum in 2019.”

850 suggestions by employees put into practice

Underlining that the company had a successful financial performance in 2019 as well, Mr. Buyurgan announced Ülker Bisküvi’s annual revenues in 2019 as 7.8 billion TL and added: “We believe it is important that our employees internalize our sustainability efforts as a first step and we reinforce this with trainings. Last year, we evaluated 4,459 suggestions made by our employees through our ‘Mind Cube’ platform.  We put 850 of these suggestions into practice, including those related to time and cost savings, and improvements. Wasteless production model based upon advanced technology brings us efficiency, productivity, speed, and cost advantages.”  

2.2 million km less mileage since 2014

Reminding that Ülker continues to grow without increasing carbon emission, Mr. Buyurgan said the distribution network from the factories to consumers all over Türkiye is continuously renewed with a systematic approach. Thanks to this approach, 2.2 million km less mileage has been achieved since 2014. This is equivalent to travelling 55 times around the globe.

Sustainable raw material supply is a priority

Ülker CEO Mete Buyurgan also said the company operates in full awareness that protecting plant biodiversity, reducing agriculture-related environmental impacts, and achieving efficiency in agriculture are the main factors for sustainable agriculture:
“We collaborate with institutions which are experts in their respective fields. We have specific wheat and oat works with agriculture research institutes of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. Wheat is an important raw material both for our country and our company. We carried on rehabilitation projects to produce a wheat that is ideal for biscuits with Konya Bahri Dağdaş International Institute for Agricultural Studies. As a result of these efforts, we have developed a specific type of highly efficient, drought-tolerant wheat, named “Ali Ağa.” We have completed the trial planting and we will continue initiatives to encourage wide-scope adoption of Ali Ağa. We get our entire annual oat supply from contract planting agreements with our farmers. We have also supported Thracian Agricultural Research Institute’s project for developing the oat type named Kahraman (Hero).”

Ülker is selected Good Life Brand for the second time  

Stating that Ülker has been listed in the global sustainability index FTSE4Good Emerging Markets Index since 2016 and in Borsa İstanbul Sustainability Index since 2015, Mr. Buyurgan said: “In the Good Life Survey held by Nielsen and Sustainable Brands Istanbul based upon consumer lifestyles, consumption habits and consumer values that redefine and shape good life, we have been selected as a ‘Good Life Brand’ in food for the second time in a row. We also made it to the finals in 2019 in globally prestigious edie Sustainability Leaders Awards in three categories, namely Sustainability Reporting and Communications, Water Management, and Transport/Fleet Management.”