Konings-Zuivel, a dairy producer with 25 years of experience across European markets, opened a new distribution centre in Bleiswijk, the Netherlands, in 2019. The result was a BREEAM Very Good certification, three stars, well beyond the company’s original target.

A BREEAM Very Good certification confirms that a logistics building meets independently verified, high-level standards for sustainability, energy efficiency and occupant comfort. For Konings-Zuivel, that outcome wasn’t the starting point. It was the result of a handful of well-judged decisions made during construction.

From the earliest project discussions with WDP, Konings-Zuivel made its priorities clear. The new facility in Bleiswijk had to meet high sustainability standards, and BREEAM certification was a requirement from day one, not an afterthought.

Initially, the company was targeting two stars. As construction progressed, it became clear that a three-star rating, Very Good, was within reach.

Wim Meijer, the project’s BREEAM consultant, describes how the shift happened. Working alongside contractors on site, the team ran a quick review of the original plans. The conclusion was clear: with a few adjustments to the design, a Very Good certification was realistic.

The changes required weren’t extensive. A small number of targeted interventions were enough to push the warehouse over the three-star threshold.

Among the measures that made the difference: water-saving toilets, electric charging points for cars and bikes, and a screen at the entrance displaying live public transport schedules. Each measure added incrementally to the final score, without significant added cost or delay to the build.

The single most significant sustainability feature of the warehouse is its cooling installation. The high-performance system uses CO2 as a refrigerant and supports both heat recovery and office cooling. As a result, the entire warehouse operates without natural gas, with a meaningfully reduced environmental footprint.

Beyond the cooling system, the project incorporates a number of additional sustainability measures:

• lighting with individual switches per room and area;
• individual temperature control in every space;
• ecological landscaping, designed by a specialist ecological landscaper;
• 1,875 rooftop solar panels, generating energy and reducing operational costs.

Now that Konings-Zuivel is fully operational at its new Bleiswijk distribution centre, one thing has become clear: responsible sustainability delivers benefits well beyond environmental performance. The working environment has visibly improved, giving staff a healthier, more motivating place to work.

The Konings-Zuivel project shows that a high BREEAM rating doesn’t necessarily require a bigger budget. It requires the right technical decisions, made at the right point in the construction process. For companies weighing up a similar certification, bringing in an experienced logistics partner early can be the difference between a modest result and an outstanding one.