On the Way to Circularity
Recycling Initiatives in Germany and France
Sartorius supports the concept of a circular economy which aims to minimize waste and make the most of resources. In the ambition to increase the company's recycling rates and reduce the environmental impact of its own production, teams at the most resource-intensive production sites in Göttingen, Germany, and Aubagne, France, have run recycling initiatives and made measurable progress in optimizing their resource allocation and use.
This article is posted on Sartorius Blog.
Waste management and recycling play an important role at all stages of the numerous production processes at Sartorius - because almost every part of a product is a valuable raw material.
Andreas Marwitz, Manager of Environmental Performance & Reporting, is responsible for optimizing waste disposal and management at the company's headquarters. Together with his team, Andreas implements new solutions to optimize Sartorius' environmental footprint.
"From our point of view, there are many valuable materials, such as metals, various types of plastics and even chemicals, that we can transfer to new product cycles and thereby reducing the overall volume of waste. In addition, we aim to optimize processes and decrease their environmental impact, including the greenhouse gas emissions caused by logistics," Andreas explains.
To make logistics as efficient as possible, the Göttingen campus uses high-performance balers to compact materials such as plastic film and bags or metal before they leave the site, allowing for more material to be transported by truck. In addition, reusable cardboard octabins are used instead of heavy steel containers to reduce transportation weight.