About this article
NS, the largest railway transport provider in the Netherlands, is quick to embrace sustainability in packaging at their stations. They prioritize mono-materials, minimize plastic use, and encourage a bring-your-own approach—with great success! What does their packaging strategy look like, and what role do Bunzl and Verive play? Marjolijn Somers, Category Manager at NS, shared all the details with us.
17 Apr 2025
6 min
Jet Kolkman
The NS (Nederlandse Spoorwegen, or Dutch Railways) have been loyal customers of Bunzl Foodservice for years. In their own concepts, ‘Kiosk’, ‘Julia’s’ and ‘StationsHuiskamer’, you will find coffees to-go and freshly baked snacks in Verive packaging.
A challenging packaging market
Marjolijn has been with NS Stations for about 14 years, of which over 8.5 of which as a Category Manager. “In this role, I can combine everything I loved about my previous role as a format marketer with creating a tasty and surprising fresh food and beverage assortment,” she says enthusiastically. “About five years ago, packaging was added to my responsibilities. Initially, I thought it was a bit dull, but I quickly realized it’s a fascinating category. There’s so much going on in terms of legislation, innovations, packaging reductions, and sustainability.”
Expertise in legislation and market developments
“With all ongoing developments, we have a great partner in Bunzl. Every quarter, I meet with our Account manager, Ruben Matser, and every six months, Bunzl’s sustainability manager Joost Lip and my colleague from NS’s sustainability team join us. We discuss the opportunities and challenges ahead and immediately define the necessary actions,” Marjolijn explains. “Their expertise in legislation and, more importantly, translating that into operations is essential for us.”
For instance, coffee cups were a topic of discussion. “Every week, we use around 200.000 of them across our concepts. Although the cups were developed before my time, it’s within my responsibility to optimize where possible. Collaboration goes smoothly: when new possibilities arise, Bunzl is quick to inform us. Together, we have reduced the amount of plastic in the cup’s coating, for example.”
Another example is the mono-material paper bags used for croissants, sandwiches and snacks. “When I took over the packaging category, we used paper bags with a plastic window. The combination of materials makes it hard to recycle them. I asked Bunzl for a bag that shows what’s inside, but does not contain plastic. That’s how we ended up with the current transparent paper bags from Verive.”
Like Bunzl, the NS team believes that sustainability requires collaboration from all partners in the chain.
Guidelines for more sustainable packaging
NS has set itself the ambitious goal of having waste-free stations by 2040. This means they will no longer offer products or packaging that aren’t reusable or recyclable. “For us, it’s important that the choices we make truly lead to improvement. There are plenty of cowboys in the market claiming to have something sustainable, so it’s essential to stick to the facts,” says Marjolijn.
To assess whether a packaging fits within the packaging strategy, NS has a handbook with guidelines. “We focus on mono-materials, as little plastic as possible—in packaging and weight—and no colored plastic.”
The future of packaging at the train station
Together with partners, the NS Stations team works hard to not only offer a tasty and surprising selection but also one that considers sustainability. “Of course, we have to keep an eye on costs, but in general management is very supportive on initiatives that reduce our footprint.”
Marjolijn’s focus is on well-recyclable packaging, less packaging material where possible, and reusable options where feasible. “The latter takes time, but the development is positive: where our initial goal of 2% bring-your-own was hard to achieve at first, today about 10% of the customers bring their own coffee cup! This didn’t happen by itself: employees encourage it by actively asking, and we offer it as an option on ordering kiosks.”
Ready to make your packaging strategy more sustainable?
We are proud to contribute to NS’s sustainable packaging strategy with our products. Do you want to get started on this as well, or check if your current packaging complies with legislation? Send us a message via info@verive.eu or our contact page. We’d happily think along.
Jet Kolkman
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