My sustainability

Today, more and more consumers are paying attention to the origin of the products they consume. The social, environmental, ethical and other conditions of production are taken into account when making a purchase. It is therefore important that you are informed about the origin and production conditions of the products available at your point of sale/establishment.

“In the Brussels-Capital Region, our water consumption is essentially divided between households (74%) and the service sector (23%). In the service sector, the main consumers are health and social work (19% of consumption in this sector), hotels and restaurants (17%), wholesale and retail trade (14%) and public administration and extra-territorial bodies (10%). The share of household consumption increased in 2020 with the Coronavirus crisis, at the expense of the service sector, as the inhabitants of Brussels were confined to their homes and teleworking was grew significantly, while economic activity slowed down. In comparison, in 2019, households accounted for “only” 69% of water consumption and the service sector 28% (1).”

“Did you know that if the IT industry were a country, it would be the fifth largest consumer of energy in the world. The digital sector is responsible for 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions. That’s more than civil aviation (1)!”

“In Brussels, almost one vehicle in 10 is a delivery van”, “Goods transport is responsible for 25% of CO2 emissions and 33% of fine particle emissions in Brussels,” Philippe Lovens, from Urbike (Cyclo-logistics cooperative that provides 4 complementary services to improve the quality of life in cities: delivery, advice, training and equipment).

“Biodiversity is the result of 3.8 billion years of evolution and is essential to our survival. Whether it is essential resources such as food, building materials, heating products, textile fibres, active ingredients in medicines, or vital functions such as pollination, air, water and soil decontamination or flood control, it provides a multitude of products and services without which life on Earth as we know it would be impossible (1).” Taking account of environmental and social issues can therefore also involve direct or indirect support for biodiversity preservation.

Did you know? In Belgium, waste represents 345 kg of food per person per year. Our country is among the top three worst performers according to European estimates from 2010… The Brussels Region has set up the Good Food strategy, which targets the entire food chain with a view to reducing waste by 30% by 2020 (1). Food retailers and restaurants therefore have an important role to play!

“Packaging represents 40% of the plastic used in Europe every year. By packaging, we mean everything that is plastic film, blister packs, trays, pots, bottles, etc. (1)“ It has a short lifespan and therefore becomes waste quite quickly.

This is why in May 2019 Europe adopted the “SUP” (Single Use Plastics) Directive, which prohibits from 2021 the prohibition of single-use plastic objects (cutlery, cotton swabs, plates, straws, swirlers, etc.) and reduces food containers and cups (other than EPS – expanded polystyrene-).

Although the COVID-19 crisis put single-use objects back in the spotlight, Europe is still not planning on changing its strategy.

Two young entrepreneurs, Quentin Labrique and Julien De Brower, have opened “The Barn” organic market on Place Saint-Pierre in Etterbeek. The beautiful wooden cladding at the entrance was made with pallets from the Nicolas wine shop that previously occupied the premises. The waste manager designed and assembled the wooden shelves, tables and cash registers himself using reclaimed materials. He says, “I work a lot with materials that I recover from the streets of Brussels, it’s an aptitude. Using what is there allows us to avoid the problem of choice and avoid waste” (1). This is what we call “upcycling”, the art of using objects and materials destined to be thrown away and reintroducing them into the consumption chain, after giving them a different value and/or use.