Environmental policy

Wieland-Werke AG is conscious of its responsibility to nature and to society. Our environmental policy aims to contribute towards protecting our environment and sustaining its quality for the life of the community in general. The following principles embody our objectives:

1. Responsibility for environmental protection

Environmental protection is a managerial task and as such is on a level with the other corporate objectives. Responsibility for our environmental activities is shared by all our employees and the executive. Environmental interests are considered in all the decisions taken in the Company.

2. Continual improvement

We undertake to continually improve environmental protection within the Company. This includes the economical use of resources and endeavours to improve the energy efficiency of our processes. We regard statutory provisions and official orders as minimum requirements. Wherever it makes sense from an ecological and economic point of view, our activities go even further.

3. Employee motivation

We promote our employees' environmental awareness, knowledge and initiatives through information and training measures. Our managerial staff set a leading example here, motivating the entire workforce to behave in an eco-friendly and responsible manner.

4. Product-related environmental protection

From the development stage on, we ensure that our products are manufactured, packed and transported in as ecologically sound a manner as possible. They also ought to be recyclable. Thanks to the physical and technical properties of our products, their use frequently leads to an improvement in the energy efficiency of machines, equipment and processes. In addition, our products are practically infi nitely recyclable.

5. Environmental protection in the production process

Our aim is to make use of the best technology available when planning production processes and setting up and operating our facilities. We exploit every opportunity for avoiding pollutant and noise emissions, saving energy and raw materials, and avoiding, reducing or reusing waste.

6. Reducing environmental impact

We identify and review the environmental impact and performance of our products, manufacturing processes and activities on a regular basis. We take preventive action so as to minimise environmental hazards and protect land, air and water. Our organisational and technical precautionary measures ensure that any discharge of substances is prevented or kept to a minimum in the event of a disruption in operations.

7. Inclusion of service providers and suppliers

We call for environmental standards from our contractors and suppliers that are consistent with our environmental policy and we check their observance. We oblige service providers working on our Company premises to comply with our environmental standards.

8. Precautions and self-checking

We verify the implementation of our environmental policy through regular environmental audits. These serve to identify and document weak points and progress in our environmental management.

9. Informing the general public

We conduct an open dialogue on our environmental policy and possible environmental impact with our customers, suppliers, public authorities, trade and professional organisations, and the general public, making information available as appropriate. Preventive measures and response procedures in relation to environmental damage and accidents are coordinated with the public authorities.