Good Practice of Sustainable Business – Strauss Adriatic

Corporate social responsibility is the foundation of the business operations of Strauss Adriatic. A large share in this way of work belong to the green activities spread across the system – from the use of basic work materials to the use of renewable energy sources. That is why, this year as well, for the second time in a row, they will provide support to the organization of the conference RES Serbia 2022.

Among the numerous activities through which the company takes care of the environment, the use of coffee chaff since 2012 stands out. As a byproduct from the process of coffee bean processing, it used to be treated as waste, and now it serves as biomass for the heating of the administrative part and the factory facility in Simanovci, thanks to the discovery of its heating potential by the employees.

The initial investment of EUR 100,000 paid off in the first year already: heating costs dropped drastically, because the consumption of LNG was reduced to a minimum, so EUR 83,000 was saved and as much as 80% of the invested funds was repaid.

In addition to financial savings, the ecological benefit is very noticeable. By using coffee chaff, the emission of carbon dioxide is reduced by as much as 11%, less fossil fuel is used, the question of waste storage is solved, and the products of the combustion of the biomass do not have a harmful effect on the environment.

Coffee chaff-based heating is one of the first remarkable ecological projects of Strauss Adriatic which requested a lot of dedication from the employees.

Another green project that places the company among the pioneers in this field is the installation of solar power plants on the roof of the Doncafe factory in Simanovci. The first 180 solar panels were installed in early March 2020, and today that number is considerably larger, so the total capacity of the solar panels is as much as 109 kW.

Borivoje Petrovic, Maintenance Manager at Strauss Adriatic, emphasizes the importance of solar panels for environmental preservation:

– Just like all other renewable energy sources, solar power plants are more important now than ever before, because their use reduces the use of non-renewable sources, but also the emission of greenhouse gases. More panels on the roofs means less emission and cleaner air. In the past year, we have gotten 92 MWh from our power plant, whereas, from the EPS network, we have spent 1,295 MWh, so around 7% of the total electrical energy that we have spent comes from renewable sources, which is a considerable saving.

According to Petrovic, the consequences of the climate change are increasingly visible – this summer has warned us with its extraordinarily high temperatures that each one of us needs to change their approach:

– Almost every day we can see the consequences of the climate change, from incredible heats to rains and floods which the sewer networks and canals cannot handle. Both companies and individuals should act locally first, not wasting energy and making their environment as pleasant and clean for life. Education is also a very important factor, working with new generations which need to be better than us when it comes to it all and to bring a different attitude towards the world which we live in.



In addition to using coffee chaff for heating and getting energy from the solar panels on the factory roof, the employees at Strauss Adriatic are changing the whole system “from within”. Plastic cups, straws and similar single-use products are not used at the company. Instead, EcoCareCup personalized, durable products made of sugarcane are provided to everybody. A special recycling press has been installed for plastic bottles, and waste sorting baskets are set up in offices. For the purposes of irrigating green areas within the factory, rainwater is collected, so as to not spend more water than needed.

– Within its possibilities, Strauss Adriatic gives a considerable contribution to the preservation of the living environment. The projects we have carried out prove this. For example, 26% of the total energy that our factory spent last year came from renewable sources. Nearly a half of this energy came from biomass which is produced in the process of coffee production and which is used for the heating of the factory. I believe that, in the near future, we will also realize new projects, which will additionally increase this percentage – Borivoje concludes.

Thanks to the internal initiatives, Strauss Adriatic brings new value to the community and is a socially valuable company. The proactive approach of the employees has enabled certain operating behaviors to become part of the business practice of the company and to contribute to the progress of the society. By continuously investing in environmental protection, Strauss Adriatic is dedicated to creating a sustainable community which is creating a better future for new generations. By realizing and improving the good practice, the company honors the highly set Strauss Coffee standards, of which it is a part, and is a true example for the environment in which it operates.

Strauss Adriatic d.o.o. Šimanovci

Obnovljivi izvori energije Srbije

Strauss Adriatic

Strauss Coffee

Borivoje Petrović

Šimanovci

Doncafé

Doncafe

RES Serbia 2022

coffee chaff

coffee chaff based heating

solar power plants

installing solar power plants

solar panels

renewable energy sources

climate change

EcoCareCup

sugarcane products

recycling press