Our commitment to nature and people
«Here at Züger, we are committed to environmentally friendly and resource-efficient cheese production, from the green pasture all the way to your plate.»
Peter Kuhn, Sustainability Officer at Züger
Our vision
Here at Züger, we know that environmental sustainability involves much more than just organic ingredients and recyclable packaging. That’s why we want to make our production as carbon-neutral as possible. To achieve this goal, we are striving to boost efficiency and switch to renewable energy throughout our production facilities. Thanks to our close partnerships with regional dairy farmers, packaging suppliers and transport companies, we can guarantee sustainable and environmentally friendly processes across the entire value chain.
Production
Here at Züger, renewable energy and sustainable technology form the basis for resource-efficient production practices.
Agriculture
Together with our suppliers, we’ve developed the ‘SwissFamilyMilk’ bonus programme with specific sustainability standards.
An energy-efficient value chain
All production processes at Züger are continuously reviewed and improved to further reduce our energy consumption and CO2 emissions. Using state-of-the-art technology, we ensure the highest possible level of energy efficiency across the entire value chain.
The production of cheese requires a great deal of energy: the milk has to be heated and the finished cheese has to be refrigerated or frozen. Thanks to our own wood-chip boiler, commissioned in 2011, we’re able to generate a substantial proportion of the energy we need using a local, renewable raw material (2021: 27.5% of the total energy required). We started operating this boiler at full capacity in 2013 and since then, we’ve used it to produce 72.5 GWh of energy, saving 19,250 tonnes of CO2 (compared to generating power using crude oil).
Since installing our own solar plant in 2019, we’ve been able to produce even more of our own energy: in an average year, the 1,567 modules installed on the roof of the production facility produce around 500,000 kWh of power. This electrical energy is fed directly into our network for us to use, covering 3.6% of our total energy consumption. Thanks to this future-oriented technology, we are now one step closer to our energy efficiency goals.
Since 2011, the Energy Agency of the Swiss Private Sector (EnAW) has been helping us design and implement our action plan for making our production as carbon-neutral as possible. Thanks to our wood-chip boiler, consistent heat recovery and energy storage, photovoltaic installations and many other improvements, we’ve been able to exceed our set targets every year since then. In addition to our plans to start using wind energy, we are also considering other strategies for the future – for example, expanding our wood-chip boiler system or building a biogas plant to make use of methane resources from agriculture.
Clean water is essential for the entire ecosystem. To take some pressure off the local communal water treatment service, Züger uses a biological pretreatment process for wastewater. This energy-efficient cleaning process reduces pollution levels in the wastewater before it flows into the wastewater system, therefore contributing to a cleaner environment. Züger uses 100% local spring water and groundwater, most of which comes from the nearby Lake Constance. Lake Constance lies on the European watershed. The closer the watershed, the cleaner the water.
Our bonus programme for the agricultural sector
With our bonus system ‘SwissFamilyMilk’, we are actively promoting greater sustainability: dairy farmers who prove their commitment to environmentally friendly production processes, energy efficiency and the welfare of their animals will fetch a higher price for their milk.
In order to minimise our ecological footprint, we rely on local producers. The percentage of organic farmers in our supplier base has increased to over 20% since 1993. Our ‘SwissFamilyMilk’ programme is based on the core idea that ‘extra work creates extra value’ – it rewards our milk producers for their environmental initiatives. The standard of quality is reviewed annually by means of an extensive questionnaire. This questionnaire is used to evaluate energy efficiency (heat recovery systems in milk cooling processes; use of roof heat and waste heat; semi-autonomous energy supply systems, etc.), use of rain and spring water and use of meadow forage or company-owned feed. Other relevant factors include the education and training of apprentices and staff, and communication with the public. So that means extra points for farmers who name their cows – or for farms that open up their barns to visitors.
Environmentally friendly packaging and resource-efficient production
Here at Züger, we’re doing everything we can to conserve resources and reduce waste in our production and processing practices. We’re constantly reviewing our existing packaging solutions and optimising them with environmentally sound materials wherever possible, for example by using recyclable films, avoiding composite materials in our tubs and switching out pure plastic tubs for K3 packaging (plastic tubs with a cardboard wrap).
Cheese-making processes naturally produce by-products such as whey, buttermilk and rind offcuts. At Züger, we make it a priority to reuse (rework) the majority of these by-products – for example, whey is refined into ricotta. Another share of the by-products is used in the production of animal feed; the few left over are used in our biogas plant to produce energy. Thanks to rigorous specifications, we have already significantly reduced our production-related waste. Valuable materials such as aluminium and cardboard are separated during production to be recycled later. To avoid overproduction or other errors, our material management is planned down to the day; products that are in perfect condition but no longer suitable for sale are donated to aid organisations.
When it comes to our packaging, we’ve been focussing on reducing and recycling for years: our ‘K3’ tubs, which come with a protective cardboard wrap and contain significantly less plastic, have long been the standard at Züger. We’ve also made a great deal of progress in the packaging for our mozzarella balls by reducing film length and switching to recyclable films. What’s more, we are constantly working to optimise the packaging of our transport units – for example, by consistently reducing our use of bags and stretch films. In our search for more environmentally friendly solutions, we work closely with the leading providers in the packaging industry.
Family atmosphere and future-oriented support programme
Züger Frischkäse AG is a real family business. And although the family now includes 280 employees, we care greatly about the well-being of each and every one of them. Attractive benefits, such as free snacks, additional child allowances and free sheltered parking for two- or four-wheeled vehicles, contribute to our high level of employee satisfaction.
At Züger, specialists from a wide range of professional fields work closely together. In addition to the dairy technologists (formerly known as cheese-makers), there are many others who contribute to our company’s success: our employees in production, logistics, procurement, sales, mechanics, programming, IT, marketing, administration and business development. Our teams reflect this variety, as do our apprenticeships: every year, four to six apprentices complete their professional training at Züger (dairy technologists and producers, machine and system operators, lab workers and sales representatives).
Our support programme includes both internal and external training. For especially motivated employees, we also offer our very own management programme for personal and professional development. Key factors that contribute to our high level of employee satisfaction include our lifelong learning opportunities (useful external training courses and seminars), everyday employee incentives (optional child allowances, free snacks, a relaxation room and much more) and internal communications app (Beekeeper). We also ensure the internal transfer of specialist knowledge.