TECHTEXTIL 2024
Performance MaterialsTECHTEXTIL 2024
Sustainability

OUR CONTRIBUTION FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

Sustainability and long-term vision are integral parts of our corporate strategy and social responsibility. For 175 years, we have been thinking and acting with a long-term view, developing sustainable solutions that still work when the future has long since become the past.
Our technological expertise is what makes it possible for us to set new standards in conserving resources, achieving the smallest possible carbon footprint, and developing pollutant-free, non-toxic products.

DURABILITY

DURABILITY

Today’s products and future developments must all offer consistent, long-lasting performance with as little wear and tear as possible, because this substantially increases their durability – a key aspect of sustainability. Freudenberg Performance Materials invests in technologies to make pioneering advancements that radically improve products. One example is changing the structure of materials in ways that extend their durability to improve overall sustainability.

COMPOSTABILITY

COMPOSTABILITY

Freudenberg Performance Materials uses polymers that can be composted down into their natural basic components (water, carbon dioxide). This means that, under the right conditions, no microplastics are produced. Freudenberg Performance Materials works closely with its clients to develop tailor-made, compostable solutions that ensure on one hand stability in the customer’s use cases and that on the other hand will properly compost as desired.

CIRCULARITY

CIRCULARITY

The idea behind a functioning circular economy is to keep raw materials in circulation throughout their entire life cycle. Our focus here is on both the waste materials generated through our and our customers’ production processes, as well as end-of-life processing. We take a design-to-recycle approach: Products are developed in collaboration with the customer in such a way (e.g. mono-materiality) that ensures they are circular-ready, meaning they are ready to be re-entered into the production cycle. The aim is to achieve 100% circularity with closed-loop processes. Our broad technological capabilities bring this goal much closer.

RENEWABILITY

RENEWABILITY

Switching to using biopolymers instead of petroleum-based polymers supports Freudenberg Performance Materials’s objective to reduce carbon emissions. Using renewable, environmentally friendly resources impactfully minimizes the carbon footprint of raw materials used.

RECYCLING

RECYCLING

Freudenberg Performance Materials already incorporates a high proportion of recycled materials in its products. The next step and current priority is to develop products with a design-to-recycle approach, for example by avoiding polymer blends. Details are tailored to specific applications, making it as easy as possible for waste to be reintegrated into the cycle at different stages of the production process.

DEMATERIALIZATION

DEMATERIALIZATION

Freudenberg Performance Materials is enhancing and optimizing its technologies to achieve consistently high performance while minimizing resource consumption. These developments help to significantly reduce the weight of our customers’ products.

CLIMATE-NEUTRAL BY 2045

Freudenberg aims to be a climate-neutral company by 2045. The seriousness with which the company is tackling this obligation is drawn from its underlying values and sense of responsibility. It also provides further evidence of the economic opportunities offered by an unwavering pursuit of sustainability.

Taking action is part of our corporate culture.

FPM hand and footprint

FOOTPRINT AND HANDPRINT

Sustainability has two dimensions for the Freudenberg Group. First, the way the company shapes its own processes and uses its systems to reduce resource consumption (footprint). Second, Freudenberg offers numerous products and solutions that enable customers to manufacture more efficiently and sustainably or to make their products more resource-efficient (handprint).

FOOTPRINT
LESS IS MORE

"Footprint" refers to the volume of resources we consume in producing our products and providing our services. The goal is to significantly reduce our use of energy and materials and continuously reduce waste, scrap and emissions.

HANDPRINT
THE MORE THE BETTER

"Handprint" refers to the impact of our customers' products. Through our innovative solutions, we enable them to reduce their own resource consumption and emissions. The larger this "handprint", the greater the benefit for the environment and for consumers.

FPM sustainability pet bottles

PET BOTTLES AS A RAW MATERIAL

As one of the biggest recyclers, Freudenberg recycles 2.5 billion PET bottles a year – making a substantial contribution to the saving of natural resources. The recycled material is used to develop textiles that are then processed into nonwovens. We currently achieve an average recycled materials ratio exceeding 60 percent across the company. Recycling conserves natural resources and energy.

ELECTROLYSER

Innovating Green Hydrogen Production

Green Hydrogen, a key player in the energy transition, is paving the way for a decarbonized future. As technology pioneers, we are at the forefront of this revolution, constantly innovating to enhance the production of green hydrogen. Our commitment is reflected in our high-performance carbon electrode material, designed for use in PEM and AEM electrolyzers, accelerating the shift towards carbon-free.

FPM sustainability general contribution

Sustainability

Our General Contribution

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