Consumables

LEONHARD KURZ scores above average in the EcoVadis sustainability assessment report

Thursday 29. September 2022 - Since sustainable business practices can take many forms, EcoVadis has defined four core topics to be examined in its comprehensive analysis of companies: Environment, Labour & Human Rights, Ethics and Sustainable Procurement.

LEONHARD KURZ scores above average in the current Sustainability Assessment Report by EcoVadis in all four fields examined – environment, labour and human rights, ethics and sustainable procurement. This puts the expert for thin-film technology ahead of the majority of other companies in the industry in the area of sustainability and earns it the bronze medal.
The environmental experts from EcoVadis, a renowned provider of sustainability ratings, praised in their report that “LEONHARD KURZ is actively working to further improve its sustainability management system.”
With the award, the family-owned company underlines the importance of a green value chain, demonstrates further progress in the sustainable use of people and resources, and sends a strong message to customers: KURZ is on its way to becoming one of the most sustainable companies in the industry and, moreover, a reliable partner in the production of resource-saving products.
“The award is an important milestone for us. With the vision ‘Be a green leader’, it is our claim that we ourselves put our products and production on a green footing. In this way, we also signal to our customers that we are the right contact for the increasing demands for sustainable surface finishing,” explains Ralph Hopfensitz, Senior Vice President at KURZ.
Comprehensive analysis of the KURZ sustainability strategy
Since sustainable business practices can take many forms, EcoVadis has defined four core topics to be examined in its comprehensive analysis of companies: Environment, Labour & Human Rights, Ethics and Sustainable Procurement. Within these four dimensions, for example, energy consumption and emissions are examined, but also the materials used and the product life cycle are analysed. In addition, the focus is on the protection of employees and their working conditions, compliance with anti-corruption requirements and other partners along the value chain.
Environmental aspects and human rights are particularly important in the EcoVadis ranking. They are given special weighting and thus have a significant influence on the overall result. In view of the numerous sustainability initiatives that KURZ has promoted in recent years, it is not surprising that the rating here is particularly good – KURZ is able to leave its competitors in the industry most clearly behind in the core topic of environment. But KURZ is also above the industry average in the other dimensions examined and thus sees its ambitions in terms of sustainability confirmed once again.
KURZ offensive for a sustainable future
As a family-owned company with locations all over the world, KURZ invests intensively in its sustainability strategy. The aim is to meet social responsibility and the increasing demands of partners and customers alike. To this end, products, processes and the company itself are being made even more sustainable.
Among other things, KURZ has committed itself to the ten principles of the UN Global Compact of the United Nations and provided information on the current status of implementation for the first time in a sustainability report published in 2022. At the site in Sulzbach-Rosenberg, Bavaria, a new photovoltaic plant was also put into operation this year – after two years of planning and construction. A total of around 14 million kilowatt hours of electricity will be produced there in an environmentally friendly way, which in turn will cover a quarter of the demand on site. Further photovoltaic plants are already being planned at the headquarters in Fürth.
On the product side, KURZ has only recently set a benchmark in environmental compatibility in the industry with its RECOSYS take-back and recycling programme. This gives customers the opportunity to send back to KURZ the residual materials from the finishing process, which are then processed into new raw materials in the company’s own recycling centre. Another innovation in the name of environmental protection is RECOPOUND, a high-quality recycling granulate made from PET production residues. RECOPOUND scores not only with its diverse application possibilities and robust character, but also with an excellent ecological footprint: by using the recyclate, up to 40 percent CO2 can be saved compared to virgin material. The declared goal for the future is to reuse the recycled PET carrier for the production of new transfer carriers.