Sulzer Mixpac recently announced that business sustainability rating provider EcoVadis has awarded a Silver rating to its site in Haag, Switzerland. Sulzer placed in the top 10% of the "Manufacturing of plastic" category. EcoVadis structures its performance rating based on 21 criteria, which are clustered in four categories: environment, labor and human rights, ethics, and sustainable procurement practices.

Sulzer Mixpac reports that it has focused significant efforts in recent years in these areas, particularly the environment and the labor and human rights categories. On the environmental side, concerning direct and indirect emissions, the Haag facility has continuously worked on reducing its energy and water usage through various initiatives: installation of solar panels, replacement of fuel oil heating systems by heat pumps, improvement of heat exchangers to reduce the amount of cooling water needed, air compressor optimization, to mention only a few. The site has been certified for the Environmental Management System ISO 14001 since 2009.

In addition, Sulzer Mixpac recently started a strategic initiative aiming at reducing its Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs), since this area is where the most significant reduction can be achieved. This scope includes GHG emissions related to business trips, supply chain, logistics, commuting, waste, and others. In the occupational health and safety area, the Haag facility successfully transitioned in 2020 from the OHSAS 18001 to the ISO 45001 standard.

According to Markus Sheidbach, Sulzer's site manager in Haag, "This recognition reflects our ongoing and continuous commitment to sustainability, and we see this award as the starting point to push forward and reach the Gold standard!"

"We plan to build on this Silver award achieved in Haag, and the Platinum award for Bechhofen, and deliver a program that sees all of our APS sites assessed by EcoVadis in the near future, with the target to obtain Gold status across the division by 2025," said Levi Quinn, chief operations officer APS. "This was an excellent achievement by the Haag team, and excellent recognition of our environmental credentials."

Sulzer Mixpac reports that it is of central importance to drive sustainability also on the product side: its collapsible ecopaCC™ cartridge is the next generation of functional cartridges for two-component packaging and dispensing applications. The foldable design of ecopaCC reduces plastic waste by up to 82% compared to solid cartridges currently available in the market. In addition, when empty and in its collapsed form (before filling and after dispensing) the cartridge takes at least four times less space during shipping, storing, and disposing. This leads to fewer truck loads and contributes to CO₂ emission reductions.

For more information about sustainable development at Sulzer Mixpac, visit www.sulzer.com/en/about-us/sustainable-development. To learn more about EcoVadis, visit https://ecovadis.com.