How sustainable are motion plastics?

Climate-neutral shipping with UPS

On 1 January 2024, we at igus Germany made our shipping more sustainable and introduced a new shipping option: "UPS Carbon Neutral Shipping". Since then, we have been shipping climate-neutrally with UPS and the CO2 emissions generated by our shipments are offset. This is achieved through recognised, global projects to reduce greenhouse gases, e.g. through the protection of the rainforest in Brazil, wastewater treatment in Thailand or methane recovery in the Netherlands.

Our heating concept with waste heat from production

Heating with gas, is that necessary? A lot of heat is generated in the production process, so you have to be able to do something with it? How do we manage to use the waste heat? That's what a team of igus engineers asked themselves and started trying it out. The result: the concept for a heater that uses the waste heat from machines. The plan: to no longer heat any buildings at the company's Cologne site with gas and to make the concept freely available to engineers and mechanical engineers, i.e. to industry. We call it MHRS - Machine Heat Recovery System. 

Plastic Fischer - against plastic waste in rivers

8 to 12 million tons of plastic end up in the oceans every year, mostly via rivers. Plastic Fischer starts right here and collects the rubbish in the rivers, which is more cost-effective than fishing in the sea. How does the project work? Local people use special devices to fish the rubbish out of rivers and receive a regular income in return. The collected plastic waste, which is mostly classified as non-recyclable, is forwarded to thermal treatment plants: it is incinerated with energy recovery. igus finances the collection of a total of 10,000kg of plastic waste. For the duration of the collection, at least 34 people in Kanpur and Mangalore (India) could be given a regular income, and on some days more people are employed. 

Rhine Octopus ("Rheinkrake") – igus supports a floating waste trap

Every day, a ton of waste floats down the Rhine into the North Sea. That is an enormous amount. K.R.A.K.E., a Cologne-based association ("Krake" is the German word for octopus) has been collecting rubbish in and around the Rhine for years. It took a big step forward in September 2022 with its floating waste trap. Waste floating on the surface drifts into the London-style passive trap. The trap is regularly emptied and the waste recorded on land by association members. The waste is scientifically evaluated in cooperation with the University of Bonn as part of a long-term study on plastic waste in the Rhine.

clean igus – our measures to avoid plastic waste

In the past, new parts from our injection moulding machines often ended up on the floor – and therefore in the rubbish bin – instead of in the collection containers. Waste accumulated due to the large production numbers and the many machines. Optimising our machines and conveyor belts in various ways enabled us to reduce the waste rate (production waste + processed material) by 21% in 2021: Gaps at junctions were closed with magnetic foils, machines and collection boxes were fitted with metal sheets and covers or lids, and conveyor belts were centred and fixed in place; brushes and guide plates now steer parts into the right path, and floor markings and stop wedges ensure the right position.

Combating pollutant emissions in container ports with shore power

Running diesel generators of container ships in port are a serious problem. They release fine dust, nitrogen and sulphur oxides as well as CO₂ emissions into the environment and atmosphere by the tons. In 2022, we created iMSPO, a mobile socket that allowed container ships to be supplied with shore power easily, quickly and, above all, in a flexible way. If it is also "green", the path to the "zero-emission port" is clear. 

Update on the path to climate neutrality

In 2021, we emitted 31.2% less CO2 than in 2020. This includes emissions from Scopes 1 and 2. The transition to green electricity in mid-2021 and to climate-neutral gas in October 2021 played a key role here.