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Ecology

This term refers to the science of "interactions between living beings and their environment". The ideal is an undisturbed cooperation in the "common household of nature". Schmalz faces up to the associated tasks consistently and with conviction. This means: generating more electricity and heat than you consume yourself. Efficient use of materials and other valuable resources. Avoid CO₂ emissions. To be considerate in the broadest sense.

On the way to climate neutrality!

At its headquarters in Glatten, Schmalz is carrying out its own energy turnaround. The goal is not to consume more electricity and heat than is generated from renewable sources.

Full power for a positive energy balance

At its headquarters in Glatten (Germany), Schmalz covers a large part of its energy requirements from its own regenerative sources. The goal is clear: as a positive-energy company, Schmalz in Glatten wants to generate more energy from its own regenerative sources with its own systems than is consumed within the company itself. Looking at the period from 2014 to 2018, the company covers 79 percent of its energy requirements in Glatten from its own resources. The facilities required for this, such as wind turbines and photovoltaic collectors, have been continuously expanded for decades. Other locations such as Japan or the USA also rely on modern energy concepts in order to consume as few resources as possible.

Because the supply of renewable energies at the Glatten site often does not match the electricity demand, a portion of the electricity generated in-house is fed into the public grid or external electricity is purchased from outside. For this purpose, Schmalz has been working for years with Elektrizitätswerke Schönau - a multiple award-winning supplier of CO2-neutral green electricity.

CO₂ balance clearly positive

In 2018, Schmalz Germany generated a CO₂ credit of 1,059 tons in total. The energy from the company's own plants which is not consumed by the company itself is fed into the public power grid. In this way, Schmalz avoids CO₂ emissions which would otherwise be produced by conventional power generation.

The result: a big plus for the environment and a showcase for the manufacturing industry.

Less CO₂ in luggage

The CO₂backpack of a Schmalz product is significantly lower than that of comparable products on the market. Through the use of our own renewable energy sources and numerous energy-saving measures, Schmalz produces CO₂-neutral. The company also designs the upstream and downstream processes to be as resource-friendly as possible - from development to recycling.

The greatest influence on the CO₂ footprint of a product is due to design properties. Schmalz reduces energy-intensive materials and manufacturing processes as early as the development stage. The FXCB vacuum gripper, for example, weighs 30 percent less, which saves material and energy.

According to the German Federal Environmental Agency, the absolute carbon dioxide emissions in road freight traffic are 20 percent higher than in 1995. Schmalz pays attention to short transport routes; for example, 78 percent of its suppliers come from Germany, 54.6 percent of them even from its own federal state.

The Product Carbon Footprint records all greenhouse gas emissions that occur during the life cycle of a product. Because Schmalz produces CO₂-neutral, the ecological footprint does not increase further. The CO₂ balance of all goods produced by Schmalz is significantly reduced in the manufacturing process.

Globalised production chains and goods flows are major ecological challenges. Schmalz is represented at 20 locations worldwide and therefore relies on a sustainable distribution system - for example, deliveries to foreign subsidiaries are bundled and CO₂-optimised shipping methods are used.

A large part of the greenhouse gas emissions are caused by the customer's use of the products. For this reason, Schmalz develops products which also reduce energy consumption on the customer side. For example, the basic ejector SBPL requires eleven percent less compressed air than its predecessor despite its higher suction capacity.

The best waste is that which is not produced in the first place. Even during the development phase, Schmalz makes sure that wearing parts can be replaced and that different materials can be easily separated and recycled without having to replace the entire suction pad.

Development of CO₂ emissions during the product life cycle

Principles of CO₂ Accounting

The CO₂ balance sheet of Schmalz Germany is based on the greenhouse gas protocol of the World Resource Institute and the standards of the World Economic Council for Sustainable Development.

The following influencing factors are currently applied:

Scope 1: Direct emissions in the company
Scope 2: Emissions from purchased energy

The Schmalz Eco Trail

We show the whole variety of our sustainability measures on guided tours along the Schmalz Eco Trail. In this way, we encourage others to think about it - private individuals as well as representatives of other companies, associations and schools.

More information about the Eco Trail

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