| Long before the climate change became a topic of public discussion, we recognized that environmental management not only makes a sustainable contribution to society, but that conserving energy and water also leads to reduced costs. In times when resources are becoming more scarce and energy prices are climbing, our early reaction is paying off today, both for the company’s success and the environment.
At schülke, economics and ecology are not in opposition to each other. By taking the initiative in developing environmental solutions, we can conserve natural resources for future generations and at the same time increase the efficiency of our production plants over the long term.
Energy
In our energy balance, three types of energy are considered: electricity, heat and steam. A major consumer of electricity is, amongst others, the plant canteen. Above all, the heat energy is used for heating. Steam is necessary for the production of process heat (manufacturing) and cleaning. Every month we gather and document our in-house energy consumption in order to be able to react to changes quickly and efficiently. When there is an increase in consumption of more than 5% in comparison to the same month in the previous year, we examine the cause and attempt to initiate corrective and preventive measures. Although our production quantity has steadily increased since 1995, over the years we have found ways to decrease our specific energy consumption.
Water
The water used by schülke is for the most part provided by our own wells and is treated to achieve drinking water quality. Water of pharmaceutical quality is produced by de-mineralizing the drinking water. The greatest part of our water needs is used for the cleaning of production tanks, pumps, filters and piping. For years we have continually worked on reducing the specific water consumption for production. As with energy consumption, water usage is also checked monthly and compared with the values from the previous year.
Emissions
The major sources of emissions at schülke are the smokestack of the boiler house and the central exhaust air cleaning plant. The boiler house is fueled with heating oil and natural gas. During production, certain substances enter the exhaust air, e.g., alcohols, aldehydes, amines, glycols, aroma ingredients and acetals. Starting in 2007, the production exhaust is cleaned centrally by a regenerative exhaust air incineration plant. This highly efficient technology minimizes the necessary operational energy consumption. The production exhaust emission values are checked every three years by a recognized testing authority. Carbon dioxide is also emitted by the production of process and heating energy.
Waste Management
The main goal of our waste management is to avoid waste to begin with. When waste can not be avoided, we want to ensure an optimal separation, re-cycling and disposal. schülke has created waste master files and data sheets to organize internal and external waste disposal. The waste disposal procedures described therein are stored in a central data bank. They also ensure that all legal requirements for waste disposal are met. Our regulations in the area of waste management ensure the removal, receiving, labeling, testing and placement in the waste warehouse as well as transport to our disposal service providers. In addition, several improvement teams initiated by employees have led to a significant reduction in the amount of waste. The responsible handling of waste material not only helps to conserve the environment, but also helps us to save on waste disposal costs. |
