Sustainability
We have a comprehensive approach to sustainability, focused on social, environmental, and economic stewardship. Only with a comprehensive approach can we make transformative and lasting changes.
Focus areas
Perutnina Ptuj Group
Sustainability means a great deal to to the Perutnina Ptuj Group, meaning we treat it as a top priority. We firmly believe that the society of the future must be a sustainable society. Against that background, in 2022, we worked actively to prepare a certified Group-wide carbon footprint calculation, which will serve as a basis for the preparation of a tailor-made Sustainability and Carbon Management Strategy. Alongside investments in environmental projects, in 2022 we focused on initiatives to increase the share of our own renewable sources of energy. Alongside the biogas plant, which has been operating smoothly since 2012, we prepared a strategic plan in 2022 to invest in solar power generation. To that end, we are planning to invest in at least 10 MWp of our own solar power generation capacity over the next three years, which will significantly increase the share of renewable energy that we use.
Perutnina Ptuj will always build on good practices and endeavour to introduce new trends to the industry. We were the first in the region to introduce a special standard for high welfare chicken rearing and to certify antibiotic-free farming. Animal welfare is a priority for us and will remain so going forward.
Animal welfare management
Our integrated management system also applies to the field of animal welfare. In all the breeding facilities of the Perutnina Ptuj Group and of our breeders, we follow the Policy of Quality, Safe Food Provision, and Environmental Protection when managing animal welfare. The basic principles of animal welfare management are in compliance with the applicable legislation and all national and international standards that we have implemented. Based on this, while respecting the demands of customers and consumers, the main activities are the continuous education of employees to raise awareness of animal welfare and taking it into account in all production processes. Another significant activity is technological advancement in all processes and areas where feasible to facilitate, simplify, and promote animal life expectancy and welfare. We recognise our ethical commitment to the health and humane treatment of our poultry during breeding, catching, transporting, and processing. We have zero tolerance for the deliberate abuse or mistreatment of broilers. Our business model of poultry rearing combines rearing with contracted farmers and at our own breeding facilities. Rearing with contracted farmers represented 95% of the total quantity of Perutnina Ptuj Group rearing in 2020. There has been no non-compliance with the laws, regulations, and implemented standards that we abide by.
People
Awareness of the importance of occupational health and safety and fire prevention is our priority. Our constant task is creating a safe and healthy working environment in all areas and for all employees. At the Perutnina Ptuj Group level, we have informal committees on occupational safety and fire safety. In each country, there is a professional with the appropriate competencies and education. If the plant is small, an external professional service is hired. We ensure a high level of safety in the field of production by introducing advanced technology and modern equipment taking into account the latest achievements in science and technology and by introducing safe mechanisation and automation of the work process. We strive to create a safe environment for all individuals who work with our company in any way, such as our consumers, suppliers, investors, and contractual partners. Our goal is to protect our employees and property as much as possible. We have professional staff and organised internal and external services for this purpose in all companies in the Perutnina Ptuj Group. We act in accordance with the applicable laws of each individual country. The management system depends on the level of risk, the number of employees, and the activity.
Natural sources
Water
Under the environmental management system aimed at reducing the use of drinking water, we define annual water consumption targets. In our companies we use water consumption meters (inlet and inland) that are regularly maintained and checked. Consumption is recorded on a weekly basis, a monthly report is made, and the performance of the set goals is evaluated annually. Any deviation from the defined goals is analysed and acted upon with corrective measures.
The Perutnina Ptuj Group started an extensive investment cycle in 2019, an important part of which is so-called environmental investments. We are investing in new wastewater treatment plants from the processing industry at the group level. In BIH, a new treatment plant was launched in 2021, while in Slovenia and Serbia they were launched in 2022.
We implement the best available technologies (BAT) for wastewater from slaughterhouses and processing plants at all treatment plants.
A new wastewater treatment plant in the Meat Industry in Ptuj will reduce the load on the city’s wastewater treatment plant while reducing the amount of wastewater.
We also make use of the circular economy. As a result, more than 95% of the waste generated in the production process is reused or recovered as energy (biogas).
Waste management
The Perutnina Ptuj Group has a waste management plan in place which complies with the applicable legislation and determines the manner of waste management. The principle of waste prevention is respected, and the generated waste is separately collected and sorted, recycled, or energy recovered. We monitor the amount of separately collected and mixed waste and the costs associated with waste disposal. At the Committee on Quality and Environmental Management, we discuss monthly, biannual, and annual reports and take action as needed regarding separation, waste disposal, costs, etc. We also set annual targets at each business unit and company in the group. In Slovenia, we use our biogas plant to produce biogas and to convert organic waste materials (mainly chicken manure and waste fat) into organic fertiliser. We use organic waste as a raw material for anaerobic digestion to produce energy and then recycle it into fertiliser. This helps to reduce the amount of waste and the cost of its disposal. In Slovenia, we also have a protein concentrate plant in which we process animal by-products not intended for human consumption. In this way we are closing the material circle and reducing our influence on the environment.
Agriculture
In the Perutnina Ptuj Group, we have agricultural activities only in Slovenia and in small amounts in Serbia, where we cultivate the land with the goal of reducing our impact on the environment. Our guiding principle is the maintenance of the permanent fertility of agricultural land, sustainable soil cultivation, and protection of drinking water resources. We use modern tillage technologies with the best quality seed selection and varieties of agricultural crops. When using plant protection products, we use those that minimise the pollution of soil and drinking water, prevent harm to beneficial microorganisms and insects, and do not have harmful consequences for the environment.
Minimising mechanical impact
To minimise the mechanical impact on the environment we use:
- conservation tillage
- multiple tillage operations in one pass
- cover crop plants with the effect of loosening soil and improving soil structure.
Maintaining biodiversity
To maintain the biodiversity of the soil we cultivate we use:
- wide crop rotation
- greening of arable land
- intermediate cover crops for honey bee pasture
- leguminous plants
- areas of ecological significance.
