Sustainability at Kotányi – Responsibility for Today and Tomorrow
For us, acting sustainably means using resources responsibly and continuously improving our processes—across the entire value chain.
Our Passion — Our Responsibility
Spices and herbs are our passion—since 1881. As a company, we rely on high-quality raw materials and well-functioning supply chains. We view sustainability as an ongoing process in which we take responsibility in various areas—from the sourcing of our raw materials to packaging and energy, all the way to our employees and partners. This clear focus is also reflected in our ESG Policy Statement.
Our Sustainability Report
At Kotányi, sustainability encompasses a variety of areas—from responsible sourcing and sustainable supply chains to resource efficiency, energy use, packaging, and social responsibility. We regularly document how we fulfill our responsibilities in these areas and the measures we are continuously implementing in our sustainability report. Our second sustainability report has been audited by Quality Austria Trainings-, Zertifizierungs- und Begutachtungs GmbH and validated for compliance with the VSME (Voluntary Sustainability Reporting Standard for non-listed small and medium-sized enterprises).
Responsibility Along the Supply Chain – From Farm to Fork
For us, sustainability begins at the start of our value chain. The quality of our spices and herbs also depends on responsible collaboration with our partners and suppliers. That is why we focus on long-term partnerships and work with certified suppliers. As part of our certification processes, new strategic suppliers are assessed for compliance with the SEDEX SMETA core criteria, among other things, and evaluated according to social and ethical standards. For many years, our Supplier Code of Conduct has served as the foundation of our collaboration, defining expectations and principles for responsible cooperation.
Responsibility Regarding Raw Materials and Spices
The quality of our spices begins with the selection of our raw materials. That is why we take quality, safety, and sustainability into account in our procurement. We have been using no palm oil in any of Kotányi’s in-house recipes for years. The current exception is the purchased product “Baked Onions,” for which only RSPO-certified palm oil (SGS-RSPO/SC21-00270) is used; in addition, our soup recipes were completely reformulated to be palm oil-free in fiscal year 2025 and will be gradually introduced to the market starting in 2026.
Guaranteed Organic
In addition to conventionally grown products, we also offer spices and herbs from organic farming. With our organic products, we have expanded our product line to include select items from certified organic farming. Certification by Austria BIO Garantie (with inspection body number AT-BIO-301) confirms compliance with the relevant high standards for organic farming.
Responsibility for Packaging
For us, sustainability also means continuously improving our packaging. This includes reducing material usage, improving recyclability, and increasing the use of recycled materials.
Our spice mills, including the tops and lids, can be disposed of in glass recycling bins and returned to the material cycle. You can find information on the benefits of glass recycling at Austria Glas Recycling.
For all PET cans with a capacity of 400 ccm or more, we use a can body made from 100% rePET. This reduces our need for virgin PET by approximately 155 metric tons per year.
In 2025, we added another packaging solution to our product line: the cardboard can. This packaging can be disposed of with paper waste and sent for paper recycling. It is used in our Everyday product line.
Did you know...
our spice mills, including the tops and lids, can be disposed of in glass recycling bins?
Responsibility in Production and Energy
The production, storage, and transportation of our spices require energy. That is why we are constantly working to further develop our processes and use energy efficiently. To this end, we regularly analyze our energy consumption and implement targeted measures to improve our energy efficiency.
We source our electricity from renewable energy sources. In addition, since 2020, we have been generating our own electricity using the solar power system at our facility. The system, covering an area of approximately 6,500 m², produces around 950,000 kWh of electricity annually and covered about 18% of our total electricity needs in 2025.
For us, energy efficiency is an ongoing development process. Through our heat recovery system, we specifically reuse existing energy from production processes, thereby focusing on the efficient use of resources. For this project, Kotányi was recognized as an “energy-efficient business” by the Federal Ministry of Economy, Energy, and Tourism (BMWET) as part of the sixth “klimaaktiv” program. This project was co-financed with funds from the European Union’s European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) as part of the “Investments in Employment and Growth” program (IBW/ERDF & JTF 2021–2027). Through heat recovery, we save approximately 350,000 kWh of natural gas and about 70 metric tons of CO₂ per year.
In addition, we are constantly working on further measures—such as optimizing production processes, expanding the use of energy-efficient technologies, and reducing our reliance on fossil fuels.
Responsibility Toward People
For us, sustainability also means taking responsibility toward people. Treating one another with respect, mutual appreciation, and equal opportunity form the cornerstones of our collaboration. We have enshrined our guiding principles in our Code of Conduct.
