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beverages are prepared with Fairtrade coffee beans and tea leaves supplied by J . J . Darboven and Eilles .
GCB : What areas does the commitment to sustainability at your company encompass ? ( workflows , transport , origin / processing of food etc .)
Suhling : At our company , we deliberately bank on low-emission means of transportation that conserve resources in order to make deliveries to our stands as well as events on the trade fair grounds in an eco-friendly manner . We already own nine electric vehicles and that figure will increase in future .
As far as the origin of our foods is concerned : as was already described , for the most part we obtain products from suppliers in our region and are continuously increasing the proportion of seasonal or regional products .
Waste avoidance and economical use of raw materials are absolute priorities . Waste separation is a matter of course for us ; unavoidable waste is disposed of by the Meinhardt company based in Flörsheim , which also contributes towards eco-friendly operations thanks to the short driving distances .
In the area of hygiene ( HACCP ) and quality assurance , we work closely together with the Fresenius company , which has its head office in Bad Soden . Retained samples of all of our foods are taken every day and processed accordingly .
GCB : Since when has this awareness of sustainability played a role at Accente , or how has it developed in the course of the years ?
Suhling : By bringing all operational units together in one modern building – our “ annex ” – in the year 2004 , we achieved tremendous savings in the area of energy and transport : there is no doubt it was a sensible step to take from the economic standpoint as well . Since then we have continuously made efforts to minimise the emissions of our vehicle fleet , to implement a waste avoidance and disposal concept as well to optimise purchasing and delivery .
We have always purchased fresh foods in particular from the region and when they are in season because of our convictions as well as quality considerations . In its present form , the thematic aspect of thinking and doing business sustainably has evolved in the course of the last two years . Now questions are asked about the environmental track record of products purchased as well as subsequent processes . We face up to ethical and social questions , for example the manufacturing conditions of imported goods . And we address the issues of ecological sustainability : How can we conserve resources and energy as well as reduce emissions ?
This process will undoubtedly necessitate a great deal more efforts in the coming years and will never really be completed , but it will invariably be accorded everincreasing priority .
GCB : Has there also been a perceptible change in thinking on the demand side ? Can you describe that / provide examples ?
Suhling : We received the first customer inquiries as well as questions about our processes relating to these issues in the year 2011 .
Our customers consciously incorporate the theme into their inquiries and specifications . The reason for that is that sustainable business activities are an integral part of corporate identity / process guidelines within companies , and therefore business partners / suppliers naturally expect that as well .
Growing demand for regional products and recipes : customers have become much more interested in origin , processing as well as the aspect of disposal and over-production than they were a year ago . We are obliged to ensure greater transparency and more sustainable working methods .
Accente Services will also focus on this thematic area even more in the coming year , as the new convention centre Kap Europa will be opening . That building will be the “ greenest ” and most sustainable convention centre in Europe , and it goes without saying that we will also be implementing a “ green catering concept ” for it .