KHS sustainability report confirms water reduction gains, outlines strategies for carbon emission cuts

15 Oct 2019 --- Filling and packaging manufacturer KHS has published its sustainability report for 2017/2018, which focuses on saving company resources in its product and service concepts. Headquartered in Germany, the company’s long-term goal is to cut its carbon emissions and drive increased sustainability through the expertise of its employees. KHS’ new Innofill Glass DRS ECO glass filler, which cuts carbon emissions by up to 50 percent, epitomizes the company’s ambitions to increase sustainability without compromising on product quality.

“KHS has always attached immense importance to protecting people, the climate and the environment. In our sustainability report, we show which measures we’ve already taken and which we are yet to implement in this respect,” says Kai Acker, CEO of the KHS Group.

In terms of water consumption, m³ per million Euro turnover between 2017 and 2018, KHS’ facilities in Bad Kreuznach reduced its water consumption by 35.5m³. At its production facility in Dortmund, it went from 6 to 5.3 metric tons of waste per million Euro turnover and saved over 360 kWh per year. In Hamburg, the company’s facility managed to reduce its gas consumption from 13.7 to 10.0 MWh per million Euro turnover.

KHS affirms that the most recent example of its commitment to sustainable practices is the next generation of the KHS Innofill Glass DRS ECO glass filler. This filler distinguishes itself by its lower energy consumption, reduced by up to 20 percent. The machine also cuts carbon emissions by as much as 50 percent. Thanks to digital networking and monitoring, the glass bottle filler also provides optimum product quality and higher line availability. “By increasingly applying intelligent products and solutions, we can also boost the efficiency of our plant engineering,” Acker explains.

KHS Innofill Glass DRS glass bottling machine forms the heart of the new line for Portuguese brewery Sociedade Central de Cervejas E Bebidas S.A. (SCC). With its computer-controlled filling system, the Heineken subsidiary has an increased output of up to 55,000 0.33-liter bottles per hour. The multiple-format system can process bottles holding between 0.25 and 1.0 liters. The hygienic QUICKLOCK fast-acting locking system cuts changeover times down to a minimum.

The proven filling system’s low consumption of resources is also compelling. The new vacuum pump reduces the amount of water used by up to 96 percent, for example. “That’s more than 32 million liters of water a year,” says Frank Schneidermann, Sales Director for Portugal for KHS. The new line further saves on resources with its low energy consumption and CO2 emissions which amount to up to 12,600 kWh or 80 metric tons less per year than on a standard setup..

Within the beverage packaging industry, KHS aims to steadily reduce its carbon footprint in beverage production by developing and using systems which increasingly save energy and resources. An even greater emphasis is placed on devising innovative packaging machinery to benefit beverage producers and consumers alike, says the company.

KHS states it takes a dual approach to adopting sustainable practices: recycling and reducing resources. The company strives to keep packaging material in constant circulation as much as possible by reclaiming, processing and continuously reusing it. Likewise, the company’s R&D team aims to find more ways to reduce its virgin packaging material usage in order to save on resources and avoid waste.

The publication of KHS’ sustainability report for 2017/2018 marks its third voluntary report based on globally recognized sustainability reporting standards. The standards are developed by the Global Reporting Initiative and based on the sustainable development goals set by the United Nations. KHS’ sustainability report has been published every two years since 2015 and can be viewed online.

Edited by Anni Schleicher

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