The circular economy aims to reuse products, materials and resources and keep them in a material cycle for as long as possible. On one hand, this promotes the minimisation of the resulting amount of waste and, on the other, the conservation of limited natural resources. We have defined the following priorities for ourselves:
Person in Charge of Waste Management
We have appointed a waste management officer who is not only responsible for ensuring that our waste is disposed of properly. His task is to identify potential for recycling and waste avoidance, initiate projects and implement them with the specialist departments.
Separate Collection Rate
The separate collection rate indicates the proportion of waste that is separated and handed over to our waste disposal companies. The higher the separate collection rate, the more favourable this is for possible further material recycling, which is the basis for the circular economy. Through various measures, we achieve a separate collection rate of >90% in our production plants in Europe (headquarters approx. 93%).
Recycling Rate
The recycling rate is the proportion of recyclable materials actually recycled from waste. The WashTec recycling rate is currently around 78%. We consider this to be a good value. Nevertheless, we are also working on optimisation here.
Paths of Waste
Our approach is to separate the waste produced directly at the point of origin. This is the only way to realise granular separation and thus ensure a high separate collection rate. Waste is usually collected decentrally and then centralised in the containers provided before being transported to the disposal company. Here we rely on regional, professional partners and an intensive dialogue with them. This enables us to adapt to constantly changing conditions at an early stage.
Old Systems
Old systems taken back by customers contain a significant amount of material from our total waste volume. In this area, we achieve a very high material recycling rate thanks to our well-thought-out design and choice of materials, as well as close cooperation with our waste disposal companies. Only individual components are currently thermally recycled. We are also working on a higher-quality disposal option here. The material recycling rate is well over 90%.
Material Cycles
Closing material cycles is essential for resource-efficient operations. This includes the use of reusable or returnable packaging in internal plant transport, the return of packaging material to suppliers and the recycling/reuse of components from old systems (e.g., energy chains).
Packaging
We deliberately avoid using composite packaging in order to ensure the recyclability and sustainability of our packaging.