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Sustainable shopping
5 August 2024
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Packaging-free shipping, CO2 reduction and B-corp: the Sustainability Report 2023
Linda van de Veen bol
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Sustainabilityreport overview

In 2023, bol has succeeded in sending more than 5.1 million items packaging-free, reducing the power usage of the buildings and giving 80,000 items a second life. The repair sticker for slightly damaged packaging has been introduced and almost 275,000 books have been distributed to children in the Netherlands and Belgium. You can read this and more in the Sustainability Report 2023.

Sustainability starts with self-reflection. We look at our own emissions, processes, the steps we have taken, but also at the opportunities that lie ahead of us. As one of the largest online stores in the Netherlands and Belgium, we not only have a responsibility, but also an ambition that extends beyond our own company. We want to do better every day. From packaging and delivery to reducing the footprint of our buildings. By publishing our sustainability report, we record our milestones, goals and ambitions and demonstrate that sustainable entrepreneurship is more than ever anchored in our business strategy. With the focus: striving for even less climate impact and more equal opportunities, for a better future for all of us.

A few highlights from the report:

  • 2023 was the year we officially became a B Corp (https://pers.bol.com/en/nieuws/bol-1-year-b-corp/). This certificate means that bol meets high standards for social and environmental performance, public transparency and legal liability. We are proud of our certification, it is a big step in the right direction. At the same time, we are aware that our journey is far from complete. We see our B Corp certification as a commitment to continue to meet the standards and to continuously improve ourselves.
  • In 2023 we shipped more than 5.1 million items packaging-free, an increase of 20% compared to the previous year. This saved us around 480,000 kilos of cardboard and 500 tons of CO2! This is equivalent to driving 250 petrol cars through the Netherlands for a year (average number of kilometers per year with a petrol passenger car: 9,994 km, source: CBS).
  • With a range of no fewer than 1.7 million items with the Good Choice label, we help our customers make more informed choices. Items with this label have significant (sustainability) advantages compared to comparable items.
  • Tower B of our office in Utrecht has been closed on Fridays since last year, which means we save as much electricity as about 15 households use.
  • With Bollebozen we donated 273,630 books to Dutch and Belgian children in disadvantaged situations.
  • In 2023, 329 bollers did no less than 1,036 hours of volunteer work at schools. They took children to the NEMO museum, taught them how to debate and read in class.

Read more in bol’s Sustainability Report 2023: download the report below.

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