Transport
Although transport accounts for a relatively small proportion of the environmental impact of Troldtekt acoustic panels, we have a strong focus on minimising emissions from transport. Short distances also ensure a high level of security of supply.
While many production companies source their raw materials from other countries or continents, none of Troldtekt’s raw material suppliers are more than 150 kilometres away.
As part of our business model, we use locally sourced raw materials for the production of acoustic panels. This means that the Norway spruce, which is one of the two main components in our panels, comes from Danish forests, while the cement is supplied by Aalborg Portland, which extracts the raw materials sand, chalk and clay from the Danish underground.
The advantages are many, including not least a minimal environmental impact from transporting our raw materials. In this way, our strategy of using local raw materials also supports UN SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production.
A strength in a pandemic
The strategy of relying on local raw materials and suppliers also has the advantage that production can be maintained when global supply chains suddenly come under pressure – as we have seen since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
While taking the necessary steps to prevent the spread of infection, Troldtekt was able to keep up production and deliver the acoustic panels ordered by our customers as agreed. Meanwhile, other production companies were hit by the lockdowns affecting international transport services.
As you can read in our section on reutilisation, we also make the most of capacity by thinking about transport together with recycling the residual materials from our production. We make sure that the trucks delivering cement from Aalborg Portland to our factory return with dust and offcuts from production. The production waste is used in the production of new cement at Aalborg Portland.
Stockist dealers ensure efficient transport
One thing is the shipping of raw materials to Troldtekt’s production line. Another is the transport of the finished acoustic panels to customers. At Troldtekt, we have optimised our system to ensure that transport operations are as efficient as possible.
In Denmark, Troldtekt is sold through timber merchants and DIY stores/builders’ merchants, which makes it possible to optimise the transport to end-users. In other words, Troldtekt can make fewer (and larger) deliveries to the stockists, which can then supply end-users from their stocks of acoustic panels.
Similarly, Troldtekt has a wide distribution network of local dealers or distributors in the main markets outside Denmark – including Sweden and Germany, which are our two largest markets.
Need for more local raw materials
One of the challenges that could put Troldtekt’s strategy of relying on locally sourced raw materials under pressure is raw material shortages. As demand increases, suppliers in Denmark may not always be able to keep up. We see a risk of this happening with certified wood, as both Troldtekt and other players in the construction industry are increasingly looking for FSC or PEFC-certified timber.
At Troldtekt, we are working to raise awareness of the benefits of forest certifications – both among private and public forest owners. Following a dialogue with Troldtekt and FSC Denmark, in 2020 the Municipality of Ringkøbing-Skjern decided to have all the municipality’s forests FSC-certified. This will make it possible for us to source more wood locally.
