Not Just Water – Hansgrohe’s Sustainability Goals Extend Much Further

Hansgrohe is well-documented as being a champion of water, and their commitment to a sustainable future as a company is now almost half a century old. But when one delves further into their actual sustainability targets and goals, it is quickly apparent that the German sanitary fittings powerhouse has commitments to far more.

Just take these words from Hans Jürgen Kalmbach, Chairman of the Executive Board: “We understand sustainability to mean dealing responsibly with people and resources. Since we were founded in 1901 in Schiltach, right in the heart of the Black Forest, we have been working and acting in harmony with the environment. Our business activities have always obliged us to be mindful, and to save and preserve resources. And this is how we act — out of a sense of conviction.”

Waste Not, Want Not

As a company which delivers more than 23 000 metric tons of products a year, Hansgrohe naturally incurs a lot of waste at its factories. Given that they predominantly use metals and plastics in their production, such as brass for faucets and ABS for showers, Hansgrohe attaches great importance to the use of renewable materials in their product packaging.

A project in the plastics sector proved that with certain products, the use of regranulate – recycled plastics –  in surface parts is feasible. This means that Hansgrohe can use tons of recycled material and protect the environment at the same time.

Their foundry in Schiltach returns spare parts directly to the casting process without the additional removal of impurities, helping avoid transport to external brass melts and reducing energy consumption. In 2017, 30 metric tons of brass was reused directly.

Hansgrohe even conducted a value analysis on one of their products which showed that 15 metric tons of brass can be saved be reducing thickness in certain parts.

Responsible Waste Management

The manufacture of Hansgrohe products generates waste such as foils, wooden pallets or core sand, which they do not process in-house. Hansgrohe hands these over to authorised disposal companies at all of their production sites, where approximately 80% of are professionally recycled.

Hansgrohe uses closed waste cabinets to store hazardous wastes, since temporary storage can result in polluting the floor, and regular training measures are held at all production sites for the correct handling of waste and hazardous materials.

The employees of Hansgrohe are incredibly motivated in wanting to make their contribution to the sustainable development of the world; committed to making products which use and appreciate nature’s resources, give people real pleasure, and could not be continued without an intact environment.

Hansgrohe. Sustainable by Design!