Company Sustainability

Sustainability at SCHÄFER Perforated Metal

Sustainable recycling, new technologies, ‘green steel’ and CO2 reduction

All of our slug scrap is collected by type and then completely recycled. By investing in new technologies and systems, we are reducing our own energy consumption and increasing efficiency. In addition, SCHÄFER Perforated Metal can already offer perforated sheets made from CO2-reduced steels.

Saving CO2 thanks to modern technologies

SCHÄFER Perforated Metal relies on state-of-the-art technology. With the support of highly developed technologies for the production of perforated sheets, energy consumption can be sustainably reduced and perforated sheets can be produced more precisely.

Save energy

Expansion of machinery for greater sustainability: SCHÄFER Perforated Metal is increasingly using state-of-the-art perforating systems with excellent accompanying technologies, which not only consume less energy, but also achieve better results with less metal scrap.

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Recycling

SCHÄFER Perforated Metal collects and separates all slug scrap by type. The scrap that is inevitably produced during perforated sheet production can be 100% recycled without any loss of quality. This allows new steel coils to be produced, which in turn can be used to manufacture new perforated sheets.

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Finding solutions together

In contrast to conventional steel, ‘green steel’ is significantly CO2-reduced during production. We work closely with the EMW Steel Service Centre to expand the sustainable range of our perforated sheets.

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Sustainable new technologies

SCHÄFER Perforated Metal develops specialised components that are suitable for the production and further development of sustainable technologies such as e-fuels battery boxes for electric vehicles and for hydrogen production.

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Green topics

Due to our diversified business areas, we are pursuing numerous measures to realise our own climate neutrality in scope one and two by 2030.

All products, investments and processes focus on longevity, the circular economy and the optimal use of resources.

Eröffnung ksw Terminal

Logistics

Away from road and towards rail - transport by rail is significantly more sustainable than transport by lorry.

In addition, our own vehicle fleet is gradually being converted to electric drives for cars, forklift trucks and shunting locomotives.

Energy

The SCHÄFER WERKE Group uses green electricity to reduce CO2 emissions.

In addition, we are massively expanding the use of solar energy at our sites to ensure a high degree of sustainable energy self-sufficiency.

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Products

Products from SCHÄFER WERKE not only offer excellent quality.

We also offer our customers technologies with a low CO2 footprint, such as ‘Green Steel’.

As a durable reusable solution, our stainless steel products are part of a sustainable circular economy. And at the end of their long life cycle, they can be fully recycled.

Sustainability report

Die gesamte SCHÄFER WERKE Gruppe hat sich vorgenommen, die Ziele des EU-Nachhaltigkeitsberichts in Bezug auf Ökologie, Soziales und Ökonomie nach CSRD nicht nur zu erfüllen, sondern zu übertreffen.

Gruppenfoto bei der Aufforstung

Trainee projects

Our trainees are actively sensitised to sustainability issues at an early stage with their own sustainability projects such as tree planting, optimising waste separation and green roofs.

Partner

The SCHÄFER WERKE Group is a partner of numerous sustainability organisations and associations at regional and international level, such as ECOVADIS, Ökoprofit, Metal recycles forever and Low Emission Steel Standard (LESS).

Sustainability throughout the SCHÄFER WERKE Group

Due to our diversified business areas, we are pursuing numerous measures to realise our climate neutrality in scope one and two by 2030.

SCHÄFER Perforated MetalSCHÄFER Werke GroupEMW Stahl-Service CentreSCHÄFER IT-SystemsSCHÄFER Container Systems
SCHÄFER Perforated Metal
SCHÄFER Perforated Metal
SCHÄFER Werke Group
EMW Stahl-Service Centre
SCHÄFER IT-Systems
SCHÄFER Container Systems

Pure recycling of all grades

SCHÄFER Perforated Metal not only uses state-of-the-art CNC machines and perforating presses, which save enormous amounts of energy in the production of perforated sheet components. We have specialised in collecting the slug scrap by type and recycling it completely.

Our range also includes products made from CO2-reduced ‘green steel’. Components from SCHÄFER Perforated Metal can also help you to sustainably reduce your CO2 footprint. The components can also be used in other sustainable projects, such as the production of e-fuels or battery boxes for electric vehicles and for hydrogen production.

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New perforating system increases efficiency and sustainability

Investment for SCHÄFER Perforated Metal to reach new markets and sectors

The new wide press for the SCHÄFER Perforated Metal division from the Belgian manufacturer Soenen is now in operation. The first step towards expanding and extending the machine park has thus been taken, and the modernisation achieved meets the requirements of a constantly growing and changing market.

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Sunny prospects at Pfannenberg

SCHÄFER Werke inaugurates its largest solar park to date in Siegen-Wittgenstein

A good year and a half after the groundbreaking ceremony, the time has come: the largest ground-mounted photovoltaic system in the Siegen-Wittgenstein district has been officially inaugurated. A total of 3,240 state-of-the-art PV modules can produce up to almost 2 million kilowatt hours of renewable, climate-friendly electricity per year. The investor is the SCHÄFER WERKE Group, which has thus reached an important milestone on its path to becoming climate neutral by 2030.

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Part of sustainable development

The entire SCHÄFER WERKE Group wants to be part of a positive development that promotes sustainability and climate protection worldwide. Our companies work with partners and associations to permanently reduce the carbon footprint of all products in our range.

All products, investments and processes focus on longevity, circular economy and the optimal utilisation of resources.

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Efficient sustainability management

SCHÄFER relies on efficient, cross-company energy management. Tobias Bergert has been Sustainability Manager at SCHÄFER WERKE since autumn 2022. He is not only the head of our sustainability project, but also your expert and contact for all ongoing developments.

With the development and continuous maintenance of the environmental and energy management system, further progress can be guaranteed, as evidenced by several certifications. Apprentices at SCHÄFER are also sensitised to the issue of sustainability at an early stage. Projects such as tree planting, optimising recycling or green roofs are designed to awaken an interest in personal responsibility for a sustainable lifestyle at an early stage - even outside of the workplace.

Self-sufficient energy generation

All SCHÄFER WERKE companies already obtain a large proportion of their electricity requirements from renewable energies. Projects such as the expansion of the solar park at Pfannenberg with a free-standing PV area of over 11,500 square metres are a further major step towards self-sufficient energy generation.

Further photovoltaic projects with a PV area of around 3,000 square metres are planned for the sites in the Czech Republic and Treuen in Saxony. The Betzdorf site has had its own combined heat and power plant in operation since 2012 and the Pfannenberg site since 2013.

Diverse commitment and cooperation

SCHÄFER is not working on greater sustainability alone, but has partners who are pursuing the same goal. The Salzgitter Group and ArcelorMittal are working together with SCHÄFER to develop solutions for better green steel and to drive forward decarbonisation.

In addition, all SCHÄFER WERKE companies are active in other sustainability projects. For example, SCHÄFER is one of the founding members of the Steel Keg Association and actively supports Metal Packaging Europe's ‘metal recycles forever’ project. SCHÄFER is also involved at local level in the ÖKOPROFIT co-operation project, which is committed to greater climate protection.

Sustainable products

Sustainability encompasses more than just the manufacture of our products. They should not only be based on environmentally friendly resources such as green steel or climate-friendly energy, but must also offer our customers a sustainable basis for their products.

SCHÄFER therefore focusses on topics such as recycling and the circular economy. Even the high-quality products we offer our customers will eventually have to be replaced. The important thing is that this time is far in the future. And when it does come, our products must be recyclable to ensure the sustainable use of resources.

Darstellung Stahl Coils

Green steel and sustainable logistics

In addition to the conventional product range of numerous grades, the EMW Steel Service Centre also offers you coils and blanks made of ‘green’, CO2-reduced steel. Our products of all grades, including green steel, are available to you within the shortest possible time.

The EMW Steel Service Centre also attaches great importance to green logistics. Away from the road, towards the railway. In addition, our own vehicle fleet is increasingly being converted to electric drive. We support the cross-industry, standardised classification ‘Low Emission Steel Standard’ (LESS) for CO2-reduced steel.

 

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Energy-efficient logistics

Off the roads and onto the rails: focussing freight transport more on trains will not only save further CO2 emissions in the long term, but will also counteract the heavy congestion on the roads. SCHÄFER will therefore continue to expand deliveries by train and offer a railway siding at additional locations.

However, this alone cannot replace lorries. SCHÄFER is therefore gradually converting its own vehicle fleet to modern electric vehicles. The expansion also includes the provision of several charging points. Truck trailers made of lightweight aluminium are already being used to transport steel coils. This saves weight, which reduces the fuel consumption and pollutant emissions of towing vehicles.

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Industrial building with CO2-reduced ‘green steel’

After a construction period of around six months, the time has come: with the commissioning of the new dispatch hall, the EMW Steel Service Centre at its Treuen site in Saxony can now operate much more efficiently. At the same time, this represents a clear commitment to the production site, in which the company intends to invest further.

The extension, with a storage area of over 1,200 square metres and a converted space of 10,200 cubic metres, significantly improves processes. The storage capacity has increased by around 2,000 tonnes of material ready for dispatch, enabling continuous operation in two shifts from this year onwards.

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EMW strengthens greentec steel Edition supply chain

The EMW Steel Service Centre and voestalpine Stahl confirm to expand the availability of CO2-reduced steel for the steel processing industry in Europe. Starting this year, voestalpine Stahl will supply the independent EMW Steel Service Centre with greentec steel edition steel - premium quality with a reduced CO2 footprint. As part of the agreement, both parties have transparently communicated their CO2 reduction targets.

"As one of the largest independent European steel service centres, we are pleased to be able to expand the supply chain of green steel through the supply agreement with voestalpine Stahl. This is a strategic agreement with a major European steel producer. One of our ambitious goals is to achieve complete climate neutrality in Scope 1 and 2 by 2030," explains EMW Managing Director Michael Mockenhaupt.

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Green steel for new solutions in vehicle production

Steel is one of the main sources of CO2 emissions in the automotive industry's supply chains. The independent EMW Steel Service Centre, headquartered in Neunkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, has been supplying CO2-reduced steel since the end of 2022. EMW thus enables its customers to reliably procure green steel products. This facilitates the development and production of climate-neutral automobiles. As part of its decarbonisation measures, Mercedes-Benz has ordered the supply of CO2-reduced steel from EMW.

Mercedes-Benz AG uses the thin sheet from the slit strips supplied by EMW to manufacture a structural part at the Sindelfingen plant to reinforce the floor assembly of various models from the high-end car manufacturer, including the Mercedes-Benz C-Class and E-Class, the Mercedes-Benz GLC, the Mercedes-AMG GT and the Mercedes-Benz EQC.

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EMW invests in new warehouse location for sustainable logistics

The EMW Steel Service Centre, a division of the SCHÄFER WERKE Group with headquarters in Neunkirchen, has acquired the northern part of the former EEW Bergrohr production site in Siegen-Weidenau with the aim of concentrating the site. The property comprises around 23,000 square metres of commercial space, production halls and its own connection to the rail network.

A warehouse with a capacity of 100,000 tonnes of sheet steel with the possibility of expansion is being built on the former production site. The production halls will be equipped with state-of-the-art technology. This includes new crane systems for four handling areas, as well as a sophisticated loading and safety concept. In total, investments in the double-digit million range were made.

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Green IT for more sustainability

SCHÄFER IT-Systems not only works with sustainable solutions for the manufacture of our high-quality products. We also want to offer our customers the opportunity to operate their IT infrastructure sustainably. Our experts are constantly developing new technologies that require less energy for their function and at the same time use natural resources.

The focus is not only on the Energy Efficiency Act. We want to offer our customers high-performance cooling systems that dispense with climate-damaging coolants and enable better IT cooling with pure water. Our products help to sustainably promote the expansion of green IT.

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Circular economy and longevity

SCHÄFER Container Systems has set itself the goal of developing IBC products and KEGs made of stainless steel that are characterised by an extremely long service life. Our products are truly reusable products that can replace disposable packaging, as stainless steel KEGs and IBCs enable a genuine circular economy to operate sustainably.

Stainless steel KEGs and IBCs from SCHÄFER Container Systems can be used for well over 30 years. What's more, they can be fully recycled at the end of their long life cycle without any loss of quality - unlike plastic packaging.

More about the sustainability of SCHÄFER KEG >

More about the sustainability of SCHÄFER IBC >

Darstellung verschiedener KEGs

Beverage packaging: Reusable packaging in comparison

Reusable packaging plays a central role in today's debate about sustainability and environmental protection. In this article, we compare different types of reusable packaging and analyse their ecological benefits. You will find out which packaging systems are particularly environmentally friendly and which factors play a role in the selection process.

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Service

Reusable KEGs & packaging law

The German Packaging Act (VerpackG) plays a central role in the beverage industry. It regulates how packaging is used and disposed of. And it helps to protect the environment and promote fair competition.

SCHÄFER Container Systems KEG supports manufacturers and sellers with high-quality reusable KEGs that comply with the law and are sustainable.

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Darstellung Mehrweg IBCs

Stainless steel vs. plastic IBCs - a comparison of products

The issue of sustainability is becoming increasingly important in all industries. This is why companies are looking for environmentally friendly packaging solutions that are both efficient and durable. Intermediate Bulk Containers (IBCs) are a popular choice for the transport and storage of liquids, pastes and solids.

But which material choice offers the best conditions for sustainability? As experts at SCHÄFER Container Systems, we would like to show you why our stainless steel IBCs are superior to plastic IBCs.

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