sustainability

UN Global Compact sustainability initiative

Wanzl GmbH & Co. Holding KG has joined the United Nations Global Compact. The world’s largest initiative for sustainable and responsible corporate governance has officially confirmed the inclusion of the Leipheim-based manufacturer for Retail, Material Handling as well as Airport and Hotel Services. By joining the Compact, Wanzl becomes part of a worldwide network of companies and organisations committed to complying with the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact for the areas of human rights, labour standards, environment and anti-corruption. Its membership underlines Wanzl’s commitment to integrating sustainability-related aspects into its business activities.

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Corporate Social Responsibility

Our Wanzl CSR policy for environmental and social issues is based on the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a strategic framework. The SDGs serve as guidance for our business activities and the way we understand sustainability. We have set ourselves the goal of continuously integrating sustainability-related aspects into our processes and decisions, thereby contributing to selected sustainability goals. By joining the UN Global Compact, we are underlining our commitment, guided by the Ten Principles on human rights, labour standards, environment and anti-corruption.

EcoVadis sustainability rating

EcoVadis, the world’s largest recognised issuer of sustainability ratings, has acknowledged our efforts. With our voluntary certification by EcoVadis, we disclose how well our corporate group has integrated the principles of sustainability and CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) into our business and management system. The EcoVadis rating is based on a comprehensive assessment of 21 sustainability criteria in the four areas of environment, labour and human rights, ethics and sustainable procurement. The result is a scorecard that allows us to document our sustainability performance and share it with our business partners. The EcoVadis methodology is based on international sustainability standards – such as the Global Reporting Initiative, the United Nations Global Compact and ISO 26000 – and is monitored by a scientific panel of CSR and supply chain experts to produce reliable CSR ratings.

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FSC® certificate

The Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) is an international, non-profit organisation that develops standards for responsible forest management. The FSC® certificate (FSC®-C147070) confirms that relevant wood and paper products meet the requirements of the FSC® system and come from FSC®-certified sources or controlled supply chains. FSC® standards factor in environmental, social and economic aspects of forest management. With FSC®-certified products, we offer our customers the option of using products that have been certified on the basis of the FSC® system. Ask about our FSC®-certified products - we’re here to provide you with bespoke advice!

Modern surface coating using advanced process technology

Wanzl operates one of its large-scale electroplating facilities at its Leipheim site. A trivalent chrome plating process is used for surface coating. The facility is equipped with modern exhaust air treatment systems, in which the resulting air flows are cleaned using wet scrubbers and droplet separators. In addition, a high rate of air exchange ensures a pleasant working environment in the production areas.

Energy savings through heat recovery

A key component of the plant design is the use of process heat. The heat recovered during exhaust air treatment is used to heat the production halls. This saves around 3 million kWh of energy per year, which corresponds to around 270,000 m³ of natural gas or 300,000 litres of heating oil. According to the company, this saves more than 500 to 770 tonnes of CO₂ per year compared to a conventional energy supply.

AfB social & green

As a further aspect of our commitment to sustainability, we are working with AfB social & green IT to recycle end-of-life IT equipment. In 2023, 294 Wanzl IT devices were reconditioned and the majority of these could be remarketed as part of this partnership. As a result, the useful life of this equipment has been extended. Defective hardware was used for replacement parts or to recover raw materials. Our collaboration with AfB – an inclusive company that employs people with disabilities – also supports social aspects of sustainability and contributes in particular to UN SDGs 8 and 12. According to AfB, the reconditioning of IT devices can reduce the consumption of resources and also cut energy, water and CO₂ costs compared to producing new devices.

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