Environmental thinking at Hes-Pro

The Hes-Pro distribution centre provides an excellent example of eco-efficient thinking, as every type of supply from uniforms and marketing materials to salads and mayonnaise is distributed from there to every Hesburger restaurant in Finland. The only item not supplied by the distribution centre is buns.

Reducing waste and consistent recycling are part of every employee’s daily routine at the distribution centre. All waste is sorted and prepared immediately for recycling. Everything from cardboard, glass, plastics and metals to recycled pallets, machines and equipment is recycled at Hes-Pro. Each month Hes-Pro collects around 30,000 litres of used frying oil from the Hesburger restaurants in Finland. The oil is recycled to produce Neste MY Renewable Diesel™.

Proper planning saves time and the environment

When supplies are delivered from a single point, they are taken to the restaurant in a single shipment, thus eliminating the extra time needed for packing and unpacking the pallet. Supply delivery routes are carefully planned in advance and supplies are loaded onto trucks using automation logic, thus allowing them to be unloaded according to the truck route. Standard-compliant equipment is also used in packing and transport in order to reduce emissions and increase efficiency.

Proper planning and cost-effective operations save time and the environment. Functional cooperation between various actors, such as the distribution centre, logistics firms and restaurants, is vital to eco-efficient operations. Unnecessary transports are minimized and trucks are only dispatched to restaurants assigned for delivery at a given time. Transports are monitored and drivers are trained to drive in an environmentally friendly way.

Self-monitoring minimizes risks

The cornerstone of environmental thinking at the distribution centre is precise self-monitoring. The storage, placement, inventory turnover and packaging of supplies are done in accordance with a precisely defined plan. Food safety requires close control to ensure that raw ingredients remain in top condition and cannot spoil. An integral part of self-monitoring is temperature monitoring, whose primary purpose is to ensure that harmful microbes do not multiply.

Minimizing food waste is one of the most important proofs of the ecologically sustainable Hes-Pro operations. In self-monitoring, every effort is made to identify risk situations effectively and utilize the information on risks to further develop operations. Self-monitoring is subject to control by the Finnish Food Safety Authority Evira, but it is also steered by the high-quality standards of Hesburger itself.