The Der Grüne Punkt Group places responsibility for the environment and people at the heart of its economic activities. Its activities are therefore evaluated not only in terms of quality-related aspects, but also in terms of environmental and energy-related criteria.
By implementing an energy management system in accordance with DIN EN ISO 50001:2018 at all German locations, we ensure continuous improvement in energy performance.
At our administrative headquarters in Cologne, we have been setting the highest standards since moving into our new company headquarters. The building has been awarded the DGNB Platinum certificate for sustainable interiors. In addition to the use of recycled materials – including post-consumer recycled materials produced by the group itself, for example in the floor coverings and seating – the building also meets the highest standards in terms of energy efficiency.
The efficient provision of cooling, heating and air by heat pumps, including heat recovery, means that the use of fossil fuels can be avoided, for example.
In 2024, due to changes in the working environment (keyword: mobile working), space efficiency was optimised by distributing workstations to free capacities and subletting one floor.
The publicly accessible charging infrastructure at the site enables electric vehicles to be charged.
Energy efficiency is also a priority for the group's energy-intensive production companies in Hörstel and Eisfeld. In addition to the ongoing optimisation of processes and the training of our employees, the focus here is on investing in efficient plant technology.
Below are some examples from 2023 and 2024:
- Process optimisation in the provision of the required cooling capacity (already implemented in 2023)
- Heat recovery in the areas of compressed air and refrigeration for use in heating and hot water supply for administration and social rooms (already implemented in 2023)
- Replacement of numerous inefficient drives and pumps where economically and technically feasible
- Reduction of burner temperature in the thermal drying process to save natural gas
- Conversion from diesel-powered industrial trucks to electric drives
The input material for our production facilities consists of the quantities of collected and sorted light-weight packaging waste from household collections available on the market. The input qualities used here have a significant influence on the energy consumption of the production facilities. We therefore ensure appropriate qualities through regular audits of suppliers in the upstream supply chain.
Our customers' demands in terms of product quality (e.g. filtration, flow properties) also have an impact on energy consumption.
Another factor is the density of the material being processed. As a result, the specific energy consumption (kWh/t) at our production site in Eisfeld is higher than in Hörstel, as post-consumer recyclates made from low-density polyethylene (LDPE) are produced in Eisfeld, whereas in Hörstel they are made from (denser) polypropylene (PP).
When considering the specific energy consumption per ton (t) at the Eisfeld site, it should be noted that the energy baseline has changed several times over the last few years. This is mainly due to a change in the production mix. In addition, major renovation work has been carried out at the site, which has also had an impact on specific energy consumption.
The administrative headquarters in Cologne is powered entirely by green electricity. Around 7% of the energy required is provided by a photovoltaic system.
Since 2023, Der Grüne Punkt has also been increasingly focusing on the use of green electricity at its production sites and will continue to expand this practice.
