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igus® inc.
When we first developed high-performance plastics for motion, the topic of environmental protection was admittedly not our main focus. We wanted to develop products that bolstered our clients' manufacturing, improveed technology and reduced costs. Despite this, recycling has always been a sincerely important topic, and we now reuse 99% of our plastic waste by processing it into granulate material and recycling it back into the production process.
Today, we know that products longer lasting products that do not require lubrication contribute to preserving our environment. Eliminating messy, external lubricants means less environmental pollution, less abrasion & less pollution with microplastics, and less weight—meaning less energy required for movement.
As producers of special plastics, we have clients in many industries as well as the sensitive area of medicine. We are aware of our responsibility to the environment along with the possibilities that plastic offers in many areas compared to steel, and we continue to research new materials and products that will benefit our clients and our environment.
In 2021, we achieved 31.2% less CO2 emissions than in 2020. This figure relates to Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions. The switch to green electricity in mid-2021 and to climate-neutral gas in October 2021 will play a key role here.
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Goals:
2022 Sustainability brochure
We are working hard not only to measure and make transparent the CO2 footprint of every component we sell, but also to consistently reduce it. As a first step, we show the CO2 footprint of each plain bearing of our best-selling materials in our web shop.
The first cable carrier made of 100% recycled cable carrier material. Based on the igus chainge recycling program, the new E2.1 (micro) catalog range was created from 100% recycled material - of course tested in the igus laboratory.
The new, sustainable iglide ECO materials ECO H, ECO P, ECO A180 and ECO G consist of 100% regranulates of the top materials that have proven themselves for many years. They are tested just like all other materials and are suitable for many applications.
Linear housings made of 100% recycled igus polymer P4 and liners made of iglide J4 with high recycling material content. The split linear housings also enable fast bearing replacement directly on the round shaft.
The production of 1 m³ of plastic requires around 50% less energy than that of 1 m³ of steel or aluminium.
The production of high-performance plastics accounts for just 0.5% of global oil consumption.
We launched our "chainge" energy chain recycling programme in 2019. You can send us used energy chains (from igus or other manufacturers). You receive a voucher, and we separate components by type and use them ourselves or supply them to recycling partners. As of 12/2021, we have already received 25.97 tons of material.
We have invested five million euros in Mura Technologie, a company that uses a new technology, HydroPRS (Hydro Plastic Recycling Solution), to convert unsorted plastic waste to crude oil within 20 minutes. Conserves resources with pressure, temperature, and water. Construction of the first large-scale plant started in April 2021, and more and more companies are cooperating with Mura Technology.
27 million tons of grease pollute the worldwide environment every year. Our polymers do not require lubrication.
50% of all lubricants sold worldwide end up in the environment. (Source: M. P. Schneider, 2006)
1 liter of oil contaminates 1,000,000 liters of drinking water. (Source: Saskatchewan Association for Resource Recovery Corp., 2008)
1/3 of the total fuel consumption of a passenger car is used to overcome friction in the engine, gearbox, tires and brakes. (Source: K. Holmberg, P. Andersson, A. Erdemir, 2012)
Global demand for lubricants will increase by 2 % annually, according to forecasts = 45.4 million tonnes in 2019. (Source: The Freedonia Group, 2015)
All of the electricity we purchase is green, and we are reducing the amount of power our machinery and equipment consume. We are acquiring injection moulding machines that are 40% more energy efficient and replacing old ones. We reduced power consumption by 11% in 2021 even as we increased production hours.
99% of our rejects in injection-moulding production (sprues, defective parts) are recycled and returned to the manufacturing process.
Mechanical measures such as magnetic foils and guide plates prevent parts from falling out of the machines in the production process and becoming waste. We reduced our waste ratio (production waste + processed material) by 21% in 2021 thanks to these and other measures.
In order to make our environmental policy transparent and comprehensible, we have been certified according to ISO standard 14001 since 2019, a recognised basis for environmental management systems. This helps us on our way towards a CO2-neutral factory.
