Environment and society | Gebr. Bodegraven

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Environment and society

GB is a family business that has been established on the outskirts of the beautiful Nieuwkoopse Plassen nature reserve for more than 140 years. We are therefore very conscious of the need to take care of our own environment and that of others. It is in our DNA, and we put it into practice in our business operations.

We try to act realistically and responsibly when it comes to the welfare of people, the environment and society. We are not out to tell the best story but to do the right thing. So do not expect commercial campaigns on these topics from us. Of course, we are happy to give you an impression of our approach.

Raw materials

The raw materials for our production come mainly from Western Europe. This saves unnecessary and polluting transport. Importantly, European suppliers also do more than the bare minimum to make their processes more sustainable. In addition, the quality of the raw materials is stable, which benefits the quality and lifespan of our products.

An increasing proportion of the steel and plastic we buy is recycled material. The ratio of recycled material to virgin material is not (yet) stable for most raw materials. This depends on the availability of scrap iron and scrap plastic. Take our inserts, for example. The proportion of regranulates (recycled material) currently varies mostly between 60% and 90%. So we are moving forward but there is still a long way to go.

No waste

When making products from steel strip, almost only the pieces from holes are leftover. This residual material is collected and returned as scrap iron so that it can be recycled back into new steel.

No material is lost in the production of GB's plastic products. In fact, material that falls out during or after production goes through the shredder to be reused.

Packaging

Our steel products are mainly packed in sturdy cardboard boxes that close tightly around the contents. Too much air could cause the boxes to collapse when stacked. An additional advantage is that this saves cardboard.

GB's boxes are deliberately plain, with only a modest company logo and a label indicating the contents. So no unnecessary waste of ink. Moreover, after use, the boxes can be easily recycled or reused for other purposes.

The plastic packaging market is under a magnifying glass so packaging material suppliers are working hard to improve their image and make their materials more sustainable. The films used to package our plastic products and beam carriers increasingly contain recycled material. For used films, if they end up in the right waste container, they can be fully recycled.

Sustainability on Site

Having development, production, and logistics in-house offers flexibility as well as opportunities for continuous improvement—especially in terms of sustainability. With today’s capabilities, the pursuit of efficiency aligns well with making responsible, sustainable choices. In fact, adopting a sustainable perspective often sparks ideas that further enhance efficiency.

One example is the heat generated during the production of plastic items; we use this heat to warm our facilities. Additionally, since 2024, we have installed over 2,200 solar panels on the roofs of our company buildings, allowing us to save 500,000 kg of CO₂ annually.

People make GB

At GB, we rely on our knowledge of construction, trade, engineering, manufacturing and logistics. We try to pass on that knowledge to the next generation. We also value collaboration, respect and job satisfaction. The composition of our team is therefore diverse. Young and old with different cultural backgrounds and positions in society.

GB actively partners with various training programmes and regularly offers internships. We are keen to inform young people and to make them enthusiastic about construction and GB. After all, these are the people who will be working with our products in a few years' time. Or perhaps become our new colleagues within GB.

Transport

Because the construction industry relies on the availability of GB's solutions, we keep our products well stocked. This minimises the number of back orders. Backorders are annoying for our resellers, the end user and ourselves, but also result in extra transport movements.

Our trucks run the same regional routes every week. This way, our customers know when to expect their order and we don't make unnecessary mileage.

Recently, together with our carrier, we invested in an electric truck, enabling us to now provide emission-free and quiet transportation services.