Stella has always been committed to sustainability
Our sustainable approach is evident in all areas of Stella’s business: from the direct purchase of raw materials in the countries of origin to environmentally friendly production and the generation of renewable energy. Find out here where and how we are taking responsibility for the environment and for the lives of future generations.
Direct purchase of raw materials
Where possible, we buy our raw materials directly in the countries of origin, from farmers and cooperatives with whom we have long-standing partnerships. On request, the majority of our ingredients can be organic and come from Fair Trade sources.
Environmentally friendly production
We are continuously working on improving our eco-balance and reducing the consumption of resources such as energy and water.
Solar power generation
Chocolat Stella Bernrain operates a photovoltaic system on the roof of the warehouse building in Kreuzlingen. It produces about 30,000 kWh of electricity a year and reduces our previous annual CO2 emissions by 18 tonnes. We purchase an additional 20,000 kWh of solar power each year. This makes our chocolate production even more sustainable.
Chocolate from organic raw materials
Stella is a pioneer of organic food: in 1991, we developed Switzerland’s first organic chocolate. Experienced employees regularly provide on-site support and training to the farmers in our cooperatives. Certification of all organic standards and transparency in the supply chain are part and parcel of our business.
Organic foil
Biodegradable foil made from wood
Foil made from renewable raw materials has been a key topic for some time, but it is only recently that a product has become available that is not made from food, such as corn, but from FSC wood. This foil is coated with a wafer-thin layer of aluminium so that the chocolate is protected from light and oxygen and retains its freshness. The aluminium layer is 17 times thinner than a conventional aluminium foil for chocolate and weighs just 0.078 g per 100 g bar of chocolate.
Certified as compostable packaging
The foil is biodegradable and certified according to both the American standard ASTM D6400 and the European standard EN13432 for compostable packaging. In addition, the foil has also been tested according to the “OK compost HOME” scheme, proving its suitability for use in a home composting system.
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Conserving resources
When Chocolat Stella was extended, a modern and efficient energy concept was implemented. To meet our energy demands we use groundwater in addition to two chillers or heat pumps. In summer, this system works mainly as a chiller to produce cold water. Approximately 70% of the required cooling capacity can be covered by direct groundwater cooling. Where possible, the waste heat is used for heating purposes or returned to the groundwater. In winter and cooler times of the year, heat can be extracted from the groundwater or the cooling water circuit and used for base-load heating. With the new system, Chocolat Stella is able to significantly reduce its consumption of fossil fuels and lower its CO2 emissions.
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Certificates confirming environmentally friendly production
Voluntary offsetting measures
The non-profit foundation myclimate is an international initiative that was founded in 2002 as a spin-off of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich and is now one of the world’s leading providers of voluntary offsetting measures. Based on sound scientific and business-oriented principles, myclimate offers a comprehensive package of climate protection measures in line with the principles of “avoid – reduce – offset”.
Complete CO2 offsetting of selected product lines
Chocolat Stella Bernrain supports a variety of myclimate projects and has been able to offset the CO2 emissions of a range of products from raw material through to sale. These can now carry the myclimate label. Our new organic line, the Rare Cacao products and the chocolate with no added sugar meet the requirements and are therefore labelled with the myclimate logo. Under the logo, you will find a tracking number on each packet, which will provide you with additional information about the specific project on the www.myclimate.org website.
FSC certification
We only use paper and cardboard made from FSC wood for the packaging of our chocolates and we only use food-grade inks for printing our labels.