seats in train
We think ahead sustainably
As one of the leading manufacturers of engineered polymer sheets in Europe, we take our responsibility towards society and the environment very seriously.
We have identified four central areas for our sustainable actions:
epsotech – made for lightweight components
Our product development focusses on evermore sophisticated formulations for all applications. This, combined with weight reduction and resulting energy efficiencies, allows lower CO2 footprints to be achieved.
One example is our product innovation Railway R6 for seat covers in trains. The new product is manufactured on the basis of polypropylene, which has a particularly low density compared to conventional plastics and thus enables a weight reduction of 30 percent. In a train with 200 seats, for example, this corresponds to a weight reduction of 300 kg – with corresponding advantages in terms of energy consumption.
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weight reduction
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weight saving
Circular economy
99%
Nearly 99 percent
of all material waste generated during production is returned to the manufacturing process
For a closed cycle, we are committed to collect our production-related material rejects along with remnants from further processing of our products and, to re-process them.
Our subsidiaries Axipack and Carolex are also increasingly using materials that are among the most recyclable of their kind. For example, with our Graphic Arts specialist Axipack, we have launched the ECO range with a 100 per cent recycled content for all types of stationery, promotional communications and labelling applications.
Pilot projects together with customers and industrial partners are one of the drivers of our success – in this way we are testing new sustainable models. For example, in cooperation with the Danish clean-tech producer Plastix, we have recycled used fishing nets and ropes from Denmark to reduce marine pollution and prevent further waste. By this, we were able to further expand our use as a secondary raw material – today, the product share is already around 10 percent in the relevant monofilament product area.
Energy-efficient production
In addition to material efficiency and in order to further reduce our energy consumption, we develop and implement programs and initiatives on energy saving.
For example, we have invested in to three new production processes in 2019, which will make a significant contribution to our overall energy efficiency. Besides, we are also investing in off-line areas, including LED lighting and less energy-intensive process cooling.
Packaging optimisation
We convert all packaging to recyclable material.
We have already significantly reduced our polyethylene film consumption and we work with our customers to collect and reuse pallets.
Our goal is to accelerate progress and outpace current performance in the reuse of recycled materials. We are committed to working towards a more sustainable future for our industry, our customers and our environment.