On June 18, 2026, we gathered at Asiat Park in Vilvoorde for a special moment. Together with 44 other Flemish Brabant companies, we received our VCDO certificate from Voka – Chamber of Commerce Flemish Brabant. A crowning achievement of a year of hard work, reflection and improvement in the area of sustainable entrepreneurship.

De uitreiking was meer dan een formaliteit. Het was een viering van wat mogelijk is wanneer ondernemers duurzaamheid serieus nemen — niet als verplicht nummer, maar als echte strategische keuze. Keynote-spreekster Karine Vandenberghe onderbouwde dit met harde cijfers en toonde overtuigend aan hoe bedrijven die slim omgaan met duurzaamheid net méér waarde, meer innovatiekracht en meer veerkracht creëren.

The Voka Charter Sustainable Entrepreneurship (VCDO) is a recognition by Voka – Chamber of Commerce Flemish Brabant for companies that concretely translate the sustainability goals of the United Nations, the so-called Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), into their daily operations.

Participating companies follow a tailored guidance programme. Over the course of a full year, they work on measurable actions and improvements across a broad spectrum of themes: climate and energy, well-being at work, sustainable mobility, circular economy and societal engagement. No theory, but concrete steps that truly transform the company.

From reducing our ecological footprint to strengthening well-being in the workplace, the VCDO programme gave us the structure to approach sustainability in a systematic and measurable way. Not as a one-off action, but as an ongoing process of improvement. We worked on actions across different domains, always guided by the question: how can we, as a packaging company, operate responsibly? That goes beyond reducing waste or saving energy. It is about the choices we make in our supply chain and about how we treat our people.

It is remarkable that this year, just as many companies as last year achieved their VCDO certificate — despite the challenging economic context. This is no coincidence. Customers are increasingly making conscious choices in favour of suppliers that take their responsibilities seriously. Employees want to work for companies that stand for something. And investors are increasingly looking at how sustainability is embedded in the strategy.

The VCDO certificate is for us therefore much more than a recognition — it is a confirmation that we are on the right track. We could never have achieved this recognition without our employees. They are the ones who make the choices that matter every day: who turn ideas into actions, who improve processes and who breathe life into sustainability within our organisation. This certificate is for them. We are incredibly proud and ready for the next steps.

Are you looking for packaging that not only protects your product, but also aligns with your sustainability goals? GAASCH PACKAGING is happy to think along with you, from initial concept to final packaging solution.