Environmental policy

Environmental protection is one of our essential corporate principles and an integral part of our long-term corporate strategy. Our determination to achieve the highest possible product quality also means using resources sparingly. This applies not just to our production processes, but also to our products. Our environmental policy aims to establish a balance between environmental protection and economic efficiency.

• We face up to the challenges of tomorrow
  
  For Hauni, compliance with statutory regulations and official conditions goes without saying. Our products meet all the legal requirements in force in the markets we operate in. We consider ourselves obliged to continue developing environmental protection on an ongoing basis, both at the production level as well as with respect to our products. If this is reasonable and economically justifiable, we exceed the statutory requirements when it comes to the implementation of the measures.
  
  
• During product development, we take both environmental compatibility as well as industrial safety into consideration
  
  We aim to ensure that our products are safe to operate, economical and environmentally compatible throughout their lifecycles. For this reason, environmental aspects, industrial and product safety are integral aspects of our product development process and are important factors for our research & development activities. We now use all available technologies and carry out our own basic research in order to develop innovative products that meet our own highly demanding standards. The characteristics we are looking for include low emissions, low energy consumption and the avoidance of substances that are harmful to the environment.
  
  
• We design our production in the most environmentally-compatible manner possible
  
  Our aim is to protect our employees from detrimental health effects, and to protect both the sites as well as their surroundings from damage. We deploy resources sparingly. We use energy-saving and water-saving technologies, keep these under continuous development, reduce emissions and develop waste avoidance and recycling strategies. We invest in sensible environmental measures, and, when making new investments, we use the best available technologies.
  
  
• We keep our employees informed about our objectives
  
  Industrial safety and environmental protection requires conscientious employees at all levels. With our information policy and training courses we endeavor to create a corresponding awareness of environmental issues. An environmental protection seminar is mandatory for trainees.
  
  

Our production sites worldwide act on these objectives. In the following we illustrate a number of examples of how environmental protection is experienced during the course of our day-to-day operations.

• Deeply rooted in the organization
  
  At its corporate headquarters in Hamburg, Hauni has created the central function of an Environmental Protection Officer who coordinates and controls all environmental measures. There is a hazardous materials management system to reduce the volume of hazardous working materials, and a Hazardous Materials Commission to monitor the use of these substances.
  
  
• Energy-saving program at the Hamburg site
  
  By the year 2009, CO₂ emissions at the company’s headquarters in Hamburg are set to be reduced by more than 2,500 tons per annum through making investments of around € 1 million. Along with investments in building technology which aim to significantly cut energy consumption, a site-based energy controlling system is also being established. In addition, an information campaign for employees is to be launched on this subject. This is to encourage employees to actively support these measures through their own actions. In this conjunction, Hauni is participating in the Corporate Resource Conservation Program of the Senate of the Free and Hanseatic State of Hamburg.
  
  
• Pollution control
  
  Utilization of low-solvent and water-solvent alternatives is significantly reducing solvent usage. Parallel to this, research is being conducted into new and environmentally-friendly coating methods.
  
  
• Waste reduction
  
  Waste reduction is a top priority issue. Waste that cannot be avoided is recycled or used to generate energy. If this is technically unfeasible or not economically sensible, then waste will be disposed of with the minimum environmental impact. At the Hamburg site alone, for example, no less than 60 different categories of waste are separated from each other. As a rule, this is done directly at the place where the waste is generated. This approach makes it possible to recycle around 80 per cent of the company’s annual waste. Some of this can even be sold on to buyers. Only 20 per cent needs to be disposed of by means of landfill or incineration. In this conjunction, short transportation routes to regional partners are favored. In addition, transport costs are further reduced by compacting the waste and through the efficient use of containers.
  
  
• Reusable packaging system
  
  Hauni has introduced a standardized transport and container system for its entire process chain. This reusable system has not merely reduced packaging waste dramatically, but also logistics costs and the drawbacks of frequent repackaging. In addition, parts and modules are provided with optimum protection. There are plans to extend this system to suppliers.
  
  
• Products with low emissions
  
  The very latest machine developments, such as the PROTOS-M generation of the cigarette production machines and the MERLIN multi-filter production machine have been designed in such a way that they generate significantly lower noise emissions. The reduction to below 78 dB represents a quantum leap. Even proven products such as the tobacco cutter KT 2 are being subjected to continuous rigorous development with this same objective. In this case, levels of 79 dB have already been achieved. This makes the work of factory employees significantly less strenuous.
  
  
• Products with low energy consumption
  
  Products from Hauni must be compliant with our energy saving policy. Water-cooling systems, for example such as those used in our PROTOS cigarette manufacturing machines, help to significantly reduce factory air-conditioning costs. Due to its particular structural characteristics, the HDT flow dryer deployed for tobacco processing meets stringent quality standards for processing cut tobacco, with significantly lower energy use than is the case with comparable plants. At the same time, this product is also an example of the innovative integration of process steps where not just the energy balance is positive, but where resources can even be saved during production. The development of the VAS had the same objective: it cools the cut tobacco, while at the same time removing undesired heavy particles from the product stream.
  
  
• Avoiding the use of environmentally-damaging substances during product deployment
  
  Not using environmentally-damaging substances in the first place is the best solution. Water-cooling and direct drives are increasingly enabling our machines to be operated without coolant or oil. Hauni’s unique closed laser system for the online perforation of cigarettes reduces gas consumption practically to zero.