More and more companies recognize the importance of sustainability communication. In previous blogs, we already provided tips on how companies can best communicate about sustainability and shared some practical examples of companies that do this effectively. In this blog, we delve deeper into how a company with a longstanding commitment to sustainability handles this concretely through an interview.
In July 2024, Vanheede Environment Group, a leading Belgian family business in the waste management sector, published the nineteenth edition of its sustainability report. This document provides the group’s stakeholders with a clear overview of all sustainability efforts and results. The report is the icing on the cake of a broader communication approach, including social media, newsletters, blog posts, and videos. Kim Delvoye, Marketing Communication Manager at Vanheede Environment Group, provides insights.
Since 1968, Vanheede Environment Group has been active in the waste management sector. The family business offers more than 18,000 customers a sustainable, efficient, and economical solution for managing waste. With over 1,000 employees across fourteen locations in Belgium, Luxembourg, and France, the entire group processes more than a million tons of waste annually, of which 98 percent is put to beneficial use. Through its own processing sites, Vanheede Environment Group produces 76 million kWh of green energy, enough for 22,000 households, and creates nearly 650,000 tons of new raw materials.
These and other impressive figures are also found in the group’s annual sustainability report. “In a world where sustainability reports are increasingly seen as an obligation, we distinguish ourselves by positioning our report as a source of inspiration and a communication tool,” says Kim Delvoye. “Therefore, our sustainability report is not a dry enumeration of figures but a carefully crafted document that takes the reader on a journey through Vanheede Environment Group’s sustainable transformation. We highlight, among other things, our ecological footprint, energy efficiency, innovations in waste processing, and our contributions to a circular economy.”
“With concrete actions and stories, we make our sustainability report more accessible to a broader audience and give our customers and partners insight into the tangible results of our sustainability efforts. As an experienced marketer, I am convinced that storytelling can contribute to a more effective sustainability policy, increasing stakeholder engagement.”
“Important in a sustainability report is that the figures take center stage and serve as the basis around which you build context and customer stories,” says Kim. “This quantitative data forms the foundation around which you structure further explanations and insights, supplemented with inspiring company and customer stories. This way, the reader gets not only a clear overview of the achieved results but also a deeper look at the sustainable impact behind the figures.”
Another suggestion Kim offers is to develop a hybrid version of a sustainability report. “The first part of our report mainly covers our business activities, which do not change drastically each year. We are currently preparing a hybrid sustainability report where we mix online and offline elements. While we will explain our corporate identity and figures online, we aim to showcase our sustainability achievements offline. A print version of a report—with QR codes for online information—has more impact on our readers: a paper document can be physically shared with other interested parties and stands out more amid the endless stream of digital messages.”
In 2017, Kim was instrumental in the simultaneous launch of the revamped company website and customer portal myVanheede. Kim: “This kick-off was very successful, with a tenfold increase in the number of web visitors. On our new website, we mainly applied the principle of inbound marketing, with relevant and accessible content for existing and potential customers, with our sustainable activities and the sustainability report as the common thread. This way, we offer customers and prospects many opportunities to ask targeted questions, from requesting a free quote to downloading a whitepaper.”
Kim is a sought-after speaker at external events on sustainability topics. “These are valuable moments to explain our company vision on this current topic, supplemented with concrete inspiring actions we take. Each year, we strive to win the ‘Best Sustainability Report’ award from the Belgian Institute of Registered Auditors. Usually, we receive an honorable mention. Equally important is that we are seen as an example within the sector because we act innovatively in terms of marketing actions. Think, for example, of the use of the NPS score, a score that competitors did not communicate about a few years ago.”
Kim and his marketing colleagues are also strong in writing blog posts and managing social media messages. “Through our blog page and accompanying social media posts, we highlight concrete sustainability actions, from an Eco Buddy Project for sustainable recycling to our Best Managed Companies Label. This way, we keep our finger on the pulse of what is happening in our company and the outside world.”
For inspiration:
Heb je weinig of zwakke leads, weinig bezoekers, weinig clicks? We sommen in deze whitepaper 14 redenen op waardoor het fout kan lopen en geven tips hoe je dit kan vermijden.
