Sustainability
Environment
›› We contribute to the global Climate protection targets and a circular-oriented future. We do this by reducing our own emissions, realigning our business processes and empowering our customers with innovative machinery and products.‹‹
Get in touchOur two main field of Actions in Environmental Sustainability
Climate protection
As a manufacturing company, we continuously reduce our own carbon footprint. We are guided by the Science-Based Targets initiative and set a fixed target for the reduction.
Circular economy
We meet our special responsibility in the flexible packaging market by promoting a Circular economy and mitigating the consequences of waste through our actions and technologies.
Climate protection - Balancing and reducing the carbon footprint
As a manufacturing company, we are making our contribution toachieving the 1.5°C target set out in the Paris Climate Agreement.In line with the Science-Based Targets initiative, we are aiming for a reduction pathway of 21% greenhouse gas reduction within 5 years in Scopes 1 and 2. This corresponds to an average reductionof approx. 4.2 percent per year.
In 2021/2022, the Company Carbon Footprint (CCF) of W&H KG was determined for the first time retrospectively for the years 2019, 2020 and 2021. The CCF of W&H KG also includes the greenhouse gas emissions of the subsidiaries Academy GmbH and Exakt Maschinenbau GmbH & Co. KG, which shares its headquarters with W&H KG.
What we achieved 2022/ 2023:
- Compared to the base year 2019, we were able to reduce our GHG emissions in almost all categories and thus by 33% overall.
What we did 2022/ 2023:
- Carbon footprint recorded for the entire Groupfor the first time
- Reduction target achieved
- Energy concept created
CIRCULAR ECONOMY - MACHINE INNOVATIONS FOR PRODUCING RECYCLABLE PACKAGING
Since its foundation, W&H has specialized in machines for the flexible packaging market. While in the beginning the focus was on paper as a material for bags and pouches, machines for producing and processing plastics were added from the 1960s onwards. Today, W&H offers machines in the business units that focus on extrusion, printing and processing paper, film and woven fabric.
Customers all over the world use W&H machines to produce materials that ultimately become flexible packaging. W&H is convinced of the protective properties of flexible packaging, especially when made of plastic. Flexible packaging effectively contributes to less waste. They save more CO2 than their production generates.
However, W&H also accepts the responsibility that disposable packaging contributes significantly to environmental pollution and growing mountains of waste.
The positive properties of flexible packaging, such as durability and performance, become an issue at the end of its life cycle. When disposed of improperly, flexible packaging contributes to environmental pollution.For this reason, it is vital that flexible packaging be fully integrated into a Circular economy in the future.
What we already achieved:
- With well over 100 MDO systems installed worldwide, W&H is the leader for this technology to produce recycable films
- Customers around the world are using W&H technologies to produce packaging ready for a circular economy and reduce waste and resource consumption
- Service and Retrofit offers to increase the longevity of our own machines
What we did in 2021/2021:
- New developments of examples for flexible packaging solutions for Circular Economy and sustainable production
- Growing Retrofit and used machine business
