Sustainability strategy

Safety-critical and environmentally relevant applications

ISCC Plus

Certifications

Sustainability

OUR
SUSTAINABILITY
STRATEGY

Formulated by a global team, our new sustainability strategy is geared towards bringing together a large number of individual measures and concepts for a sustainable SIMONA and distilling them into clear objectives for protecting the environment and climate.
It is built on three pillars:

The benefits offered by our plastic products – durability, low weight and ease of recycling – are to be enhanced further by developing products that are bio-based or made using recycled materials. We have already taken an important step in this direction by gaining certification in accordance with the ISCC (International Sustainability & Carbon Certification) system. This allows us to use raw materials that are generated from waste rather than being oil-based, without compromising on quality or having to obtain the necessary approvals and certificates. This ‘mass balance approach’ enables customers to save CO2.

We have started to log CO2 emissions at our plants and will be moving on to setting and meeting measurable targets for reducing them. We also want to bring about a further cut in our waste rate – despite it already being at a low level – and become even more energy-efficient.

The aim of this pillar of our sustainability strategy is to be an attractive employer to talented individuals and keep employees loyal to SIMONA. A company like a friend – at all levels: from our training courses, mobile working options and health management through to ‘Vision Zero’, the target of no occupational accidents whatsoever at our sites across the world.

PRODUCTS FOR
SAFETYCRITICAL
AND ENVIRONMENTALLY
RELEVANT APPLICATIONS

In view of the world’s growing population, climate change and the decrease in rainfall that it is causing, ensuring a safe and reliable supply of clean drinking water across the globe is an increasingly vital challenge. Water is also a critical resource in the chemical industry, where it is used as a coolant, a solvent and a cleaning agent. No less than 97 per cent of the world’s water resources exist in the form of salt or brackish water. It therefore makes sense to use these resources to supply drinking water. Pipeline systems made from SIMONA® PE, PP, PVDF and ECTFE are used in seawater desalination and water treatment plants across the world and help to clean water, transport it safely without any losses, reduce contamination and turn salt water into a usable commodity.

Fish can make a sustainable contribution to feeding the world’s growing population, and per capita consumption has risen steadily in recent years. Whilst wild fish catches are stagnating, the yield from aquaculture is continuing to increase and already makes up over 50 per cent of the global catch. By focusing on equipping land-based farming systems, SIMONA is helping to grow the aquaculture yield further, such as with its innovative twin-wall sheet, which provides the basis for more lightweight fish farm tanks as well as bringing benefits in use.

Vehicles and aircraft need to be efficient, safe, reliable and comfortable all at the same time. Developed specifically for fitting out the interiors of various means of transport, plastics from SIMONA and our subsidiaries SIMONA Boltaron and SIMONA PMC are impressively lightweight. This paves the way for lighter cars, trains and planes and thus helps to reduce emissions.

SUSTAINABLE PRODUCT LINE
ISCC PLUS CERTIFIED

SIMONA will soon be using sustainably produced pellets in its pipe extrusion operations and creating a separate ‘ISCCcertified product line’, initially in its product portfolio for pipe systems in infrastructure. In the Infrastructure business line, this will benefit towns, cities and other local authorities in particular. For the first time, they will be able to drive forward efforts to meet the German government’s climate action targets using sustainable drinking water, wastewater and cable protection pipes as well and may even be eligible to participate in environmental protection funding schemes.

ISCC, which stands for International Sustainability and Carbon Certification, is the first EU-accredited certification system for sustainability and greenhouse gas reduction that can be applied across the world to all types of biomass and biomass derivatives.

CERTIFICATIONS

Our integrated quality, environmental and energy management system underpins the continuous improvement of our product and process quality, the sustainability of our environmental protection work, the shrinking of our energy footprint and the reduction of our CO2 emissions. Our management system meets the requirements of DIN EN ISO 9001, DIN EN ISO 14001 and DIN EN ISO 50001.

‘Zero Pellet Loss’: part of a global initiative by the plastics industry geared towards avoiding plastic pellet loss along the entire supply chain, including projects for preventing marine litter.

VinylPlus: a programme for increasing the sustainability of the PVC supply chain. SIMONA is also a co-initiator and holder of the seal of quality for PVC sheets awarded by pro-K, the industry association for semi-finished parts and consumer products made from plastic.

VEA (German Association of Energy Consumers): ‘Climate-Friendly SMEs Initiative’ to raise awareness of climate protection and cut CO2 emissions in businesses.