At its international sites, Corteco has launched a wide range of sustainability projects involving “green electricity,” reduced paper use, and new methods of transport and packaging, and won a GROWTTH award. CO2 emissions have been reduced by many tons.
“Every little bit helps,” as the saying goes. Or to put it another way, even fairly small returns can make a difference and add up to larger ones. The more the better, of course. The impact can be massive if numerous projects are underway.
That‘s true for Corteco’s sustainability initiative as well. A unit of the Freudenberg Group, Corteco is the leading international supplier of replacement auto parts to the independent market. There’s a long list of sustainable activities as well as projects promoting energy efficiency and cutting resource consumption and CO2 emissions at the company – whether at its main warehouse, known as the Central Distribution Center or CDC, in Hirschberg, Germany or in Milan in the United States, Nantiat in France or Pinerolo in Italy.
They include measures that are effective yet comparatively easy to carry out. For example, the Hirschberg facility relies solely on “green electricity.” In Milan and Nantiat, warehouses are now illuminated with LED lighting. Or motion sensors make sure that the lights are only on when they are needed.
For example, plastic waste can easily be reduced when employees use their own refillable water bottles at a refill station – as they are doing in Milan – instead of discarding empty single-use bottles. The use of plastic can be reduced in the packaging area by using packaging tape made of reinforced paper instead of plastic. Hirschberg has taken this approach, eliminating 60 kilograms of CO2 emissions per year. Big plans for packaging are in the works at Nantiat. For example, environmentally friendly packaging materials are replacing foils and transparent blister packs for flat seals and oil drain plugs.
400,000 Plastic Bags Eliminated
Measures that require changes in work processes are especially challenging. Corteco can chalk up numerous successes in this area as well. For example, Freudenberg Sealing Technologies (FST) bestowed the first-ever GROWTTH Award in the “Sustainability” category on a Corteco project in Hirschberg for 2021. The facility eliminated the use of plastic bags for the shipment of small quantities. Nearly 400,000 bags were used annually – but no longer. The solution involves smart picking based on a clearly defined packing plan. It is saving the equivalent of 45 tons of CO2 per year. One positive side effect: Packaging is faster without plastic bags.
In Milan, a reorganization of the picking and packing process for one product group is reducing the distances employees have to travel. It is making the work safer and more comfortable, not to mention faster, less costly, and – thanks to the elimination of internal transport by warehouse vehicles – more environmentally friendly.
Nearly Paperless on Route
The paperless office is a major issue, not just to improve efficiency but to protect the environment as well. Hirschberg’s Customer Service department has almost reached a paperless state. It used to print 20-page packing lists and delivery documents in duplicate, but now nearly everything is digital. The reorganization has had a positive impact on its balance sheet: a decline of 11,000 euros in costs and 1,100 kilograms in the amount CO2 generated. The project is a great example of how sustainability pays off financially. The Natiat facility cut its use of paper sharply last year as well.
The potential for greater energy efficiency at Corteco’s Pinerolo facility, which is just a few years old, has largely been exhausted. So the focus here has been on employees’ behavior, specifically their commutes. In 2021, the switch to bicycles was the centerpiece of the community’s “Move on Pinerolo” initiative, supported by local companies, organizations and the city administration. Pedaling to work is not only environmentally friendly; the physical activity promotes good health. This year, the goal of the city’s “Carpool is cool” campaign is to get commuters into ridesharing groups.
Pinerolo is also one of the scenes of another major transportation project – one that involves goods, not people. Shipments have been shifted from roads to rails. Containers are no longer being moved by truck several times a week over long distances through the Alps from the European CDC in Hirschberg. This works in reverse as well. The savings per year: 17,000 tons of CO2.
FST viewed the employees’ commitment as award-worthy. In July, Corteco received the “Sustainability Gold GROWTTH Award 2021,” which was bestowed for the first time. Dr. Matthias Sckuhr, FST‘s Chief Operations/Chief Technology Officer thanked Corteco employees and presented the award and the accompanying check.
