Customer case Spruyt hillen

♻️ De Budelse and sustainability: a successful one-two punch

Sustainability is high on the social agenda. A growing number of companies are introducing more nuance to this important theme. De Budelse also aims to take into account the environment and future generations. Sustainability is therefore not only firmly embedded in our business processes. We also have an eye for people and the environment when choosing raw materials and suppliers.

The question is: how sustainable is De Budelse? High time to take a closer look at sustainability from 3 perspectives. 

Innovative response to trends

The pharmacy wholesaler Spruyt hillen supports pharmaceutical and medical professionals and organisations with a unique combination of products, services and concepts. This innovative company enjoys tapping into the latest developments and trends. Spruyt hillen also likes leading the way in environmentally friendly choices for packaging and printing. De Budelse has been playing an important role in this leading position for over 10 years. 

Strip folding boxes made of PaperWise cardboard

In 2021, Spruyt hillen will continue on its environmentally friendly path. The sustainable packaging line is getting a new addition with strip folding boxes made of PaperWise cardboard. By choosing PaperWise, Spruyt hillen compensates even more for its CO² emissions. Naturally, De Budelse has been commissioned to print these strip folding boxes.

Innovative choice

The decision to use environmentally friendly strip folding boxes made of PaperWise cardboard is truly innovative. Human Healthcare packaging is traditionally made of white cardboard. This choice is mainly dictated by the clinically white colour of the cardboard. Spruyt hillen is now offering customers an environmentally friendly alternative. The new packaging is not gleaming white, but it does meet all existing conditions. And most importantly, it contributes to a better environment. Pharmacists can order these boxes in various sizes and use them as secondary packaging for medicines.  

Strip folding boxes made of PaperWise cardboard

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PaperWise; cardboard from agricultural waste

♻️ De Budelse and sustainability: a successful one-two punch

Sustainability is high on the social agenda. A growing number of companies are introducing more nuance to this important theme. De Budelse also aims to take into account the environment and future generations. Sustainability is therefore not only firmly embedded in our business processes. We also have an eye for people and the environment when choosing raw materials and suppliers.

The question is: how sustainable is De Budelse? High time to take a closer look at sustainability from 3 perspectives. 

Wise with waste 

In terms of packaging, De Budelse uses various environmentally friendly types of cardboard. A good example of such a sustainable choice is PaperWise. The motto of this cardboard is ‘wise with waste’. In the eyes of the producer, nature has no waste. Certainly not in the agricultural cycle. After harvesting, stalks and leaves remain. PaperWise breathes second life into this agricultural waste. This is how the company manages to make printing and packaging more sustainable. After all, the production of this wood-free paper prevents unnecessary CO² emissions. 

Low environmental impact

With this approach, PaperWise actively contributes to greater social awareness in companies. De Budelse is drawn to the PaperWise mission and vision. Using these environmentally friendly types of paper and cardboard means we can substantiate our environmental objectives and contribute to a positive corporate image. The environmental impact of Paperwise is much lower than traditional paper from trees (47%) and recycled paper (29%). In short, we contribute to a more pleasant, cleaner world together with PaperWise.  

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Sustainable entrepreneurship

♻️ De Budelse and sustainability: a successful one-two punch

Sustainability is high on the social agenda. A growing number of companies are introducing more nuance to this important theme. De Budelse also aims to take into account the environment and future generations. Sustainability is therefore not only firmly embedded in our business processes. We also have an eye for people and the environment when choosing raw materials and suppliers.

The question is: how sustainable is De Budelse? High time to take a closer look at sustainability from 3 perspectives.. 

Waste minimisation

How does De Budelse shape and define its commitment to sustainable business processes. In the past, waste was just a necessary evil in the printing industry. However, we are much more conscious of this these days. Our production capacity is set to ‘high volume, short runs’. This means we do not produce more than is strictly necessary. In combination with the smallest possible intervals, we succeed in keeping waste to a minimum.

FSC®-certified cardboard

The packaging cardboard that De Budelse uses is FSC® certified. The FSC® certificate guarantees that paper and cardboard come from responsibly managed forests. So, we can print and offer this cardboard to our customers in good conscience. We also consider the environment when recycling cardboard. For instance, we separate printed cardboard from non-printed cardboard.

Water-based ink

Ink is indispensable for printing. In the past, these inks contained harmful chemicals, alcohol and solvents. De Budelse has banned these hazardous raw materials from the production process. Instead, we have consciously chosen water-based ink. Furthermore, the raw materials and ancillary products (including lubricants and adhesives) that we use are food-grade. This means they contain a special certification for the food industry.  

Energy use

Finally, sustainability also plays a prominent role in energy use. First of all, the lighting of the work and manufacturing areas is based on the most economical LED technology. We use the heat released by the running machines to heat the production areas.

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Basic Pharma

What customers say – Basic Pharma

In 2020, pharmaceutical company Basic Pharma from Geleen issued a tender for the packaging of nasal sprays. After several tender rounds, De Budelse came out on top and was awarded the contract to print a certain amount of packaging for each order. ‘As companies of a similar size, we fit well together’, says purchasing manager Jan-Joris Mertens enthusiastically. ‘We want to be of value to each other, and that works very well.’    

As a pharmaceutical company, Basic Pharma mainly focuses on the development, production and sale of generic medicines. The company is located on the Brightlands Chemelot Campus in Geleen. From this hotspot for innovative companies, over one hundred employees provide a full range of services for various pharmaceutical products and services. ‘Each product group is composed of a number of specialists’, continues Jan-Joris Mertens. ‘My colleagues take care of development, printing and operational matters. For the past year and a half, I’ve been responsible within the team for the purchasing of packaging materials and raw materials.’    

Knowledge of packaging 

Based on the experiences of a colleague’s previous development projects, Jan-Joris Mertens has come to know De Budelse fairly well. Basic Pharma launched a tender for the packaging of nasal sprays. 11 companies received invitations to submit tenders. This also included a number of international companies because logistics is likely to play an important role. ‘Price plays a decisive role in such tenders’, explains the experienced procurement manager. ‘However, it is also very important to us that a supplier knows what is involved in pharmaceutical product packaging.’  

‘De Budelse is a perfect extension of our own supply chain’

Quality check

After the first round, 3 suppliers remained. De Budelse was one of the lucky companies to receive a visit from Basic Pharma for a quality check on location. ‘A company visit is important to get a good feel for the supplier’, explains Jan-Joris Mertens. If you look at everything covered in a tender, De Budelse has a clear edge. But of course we also like to see the business processes up close and get answers to crucial questions about order management, good manufacturing practices (GMPs) and delivery. After all, the transition from an existing to a new supplier should be as smooth as possible.’ 

Transitioning quickly 

Basic Pharma made a conscious choice for De Budelse as its supplier of nasal spray packaging. Ultimately, the international nature of the supplier does not play a major role. ‘De Budelse speaks our language, knows the Dutch culture of entrepreneurship and is situated locally’, Jan-Joris Mertens emphasises. This is much more important when it comes to transitioning quickly. De Budelse guaranteed that our machines could process the boxes well. And they could meet the agreed delivery times and ordered quantities. Basic Pharma works based on the make-to-orderprinciple. So it is crucial that we meet the agreements we have with our customers. This is one of Basic Pharma’s greatest strengths.’ 

Clear agreements

Our collaboration with De Budelse is excellent! Jan-Joris Mertens jokingly says that he has little contact with account manager Ben Vossen. In his estimation, that’s a good sign. Of course, clear agreements were made in the beginning about the loading of pallets and the delivery of samples for quality control. ‘In practice, De Budelse is a perfect extension of our supply chain’, concludes Jan-Joris Mertens. ‘We will certainly continue our cooperation into the future. De Budelse is also an excellent partner for small print runs. They have everything. They also print leaflets, and insert them in the packaging. Basic Pharma needs a partner like that.’