Leonhard Kurz, a global name in thin-film and finishing technology, recently published its Sustainability Report 2022 – underlining that responsible corporate governance is one of the most important goals. Kurz lists what matters to the company in the value chain, labor and human rights, and environmental protection, among other areas.
Kurz joined the UN Global Compact Network as early as 2021, reaching another important milestone in its sustainability activities and following up with the publication of the ‘Sustainability Report 2022’.
CEO Andreas Hirschfelder says he is pleased with the goals the company has achieved in recent months and points out that the path will be consistently continued. “The willingness to change ensures that we remain a pioneer in the industry in terms of innovation and sustainability. Since our founding more than 120 years ago, we continuously provided new answers to exciting questions about the future and will not stop constantly questioning the status quo. We are at the beginning of this evolution.”
The Kurz motto
The motto, the company says, ‘Be a green leader’ summarizes all company activities leading to more sustainability. On the one hand, this message has an internal impact and makes clear to employees the importance of responsible business practices for humans and the environment. On the other hand, it is an offer to all Kurz customers. Hirschfelder said, “We are working hard to become the most sustainable company in our industry. However, product innovations and our constant push towards a circular economy not only help us but also give our customers a sustainable lead.”
The Sustainability Report 2022 sets out central requirements and environmental directives – including those relating to selecting raw materials and handling. All Kurz sites worldwide are bound to comply with these guidelines. Environmental management systems ensure that standards are always met and continuous improvements are guaranteed.
As far as technically possible, the efficient use of all raw materials as well as PET carrier materials with recycled content is mandatory. While around 30% of raw materials used in Kurz decorations are currently of organic origin, the company is working on increasing this figure to as much as 80 percent.
To ensure that Kurz, together with its partners and customers, achieves its ambitious sustainability goals in the long term, this year’s sustainability report also formulates short-term goals intended to reduce energy consumption and CO2 emissions.
Among other things, expanding the company’s own photovoltaic systems, using the latest and more efficient cooling equipment, and reducing certain environmentally harmful chemicals in surface finishes are planned by the end of 2023. The annual sustainability report will transparently document progress on these and numerous other initiatives.
Innovation for sustainability balance sheet
Kurz’s Recosys take-back and recycling program has already demonstrated to customers, the industry, and partners that the thin-film expert is scrutinizing all processes regarding sustainability. Since the Recosys introduction, PET transfer materials can be returned to Kurz. They are then processed into new raw materials at the company’s own recycling center – a new benchmark has been set in terms of environmental compatibility. The second evolutionary stage Recosys 2.0, which was presented to the global public at Interpack 2023 in May, now allows an even greater variety of transfer carriers to be recycled and expands the range of possible applications for the recycled material.
Until now, Kurz’s recycling process has yielded the so-called post-industrial compound Recopound, which, for example, could be further processed as injection-molded granules into durable containers saving 40% CO2 compared to virgin material.
Recosys 2.0 now opens up completely new possibilities: For the first time, production residues from the graphic arts industry can be processed into recycled PET (rPET for short). This, in turn, can be used to manufacture plastic bottles or packaging. With the help of Recosys 2.0, Scope 3 emissions, i.e., greenhouse gas emissions along a company’s entire value chain, can be reduced by up to 90%, the company says.
