Sustainability is in our genes
Conservation of resources and environmental protection at Wieland
Traditionally, Wieland has invested heavily in energy-efficient and environmentally friendly technologies. The material copper also contributes to sustainability – it can be completely recycled. In addition, Wieland semi-finished products are used in numerous future-oriented, sustainable energy concepts.
Sustainability, resource conservation, environmental and climate protection are highly topical issues. Especially for a company that operates energy-intensive plants. At Wieland, the responsible use of resources has always been part of the business model, as copper and copper alloys are the most sustainable materials of all. The products made from them are exceptionally robust and durable, many of them can be used for decades. Moreover, copper materials can be 100 per cent recycled without loss of quality. This is why Wieland today uses about 80 per cent recycled material. This not only saves raw materials but also reduces the burden on the environment: The production of semi-finished products from scrap generates up to 90 per cent less CO2 emissions than the processing of virgin metals.
Wieland has always made innovative contributions to the responsible handling of resources, energy and the environment, which together would fill entire volumes. Milestones are undoubtedly the construction of our own hydroelectric power plant in Vöhringen in 1905, the commissioning of a waste water treatment plant in 1966, the first dust removal system for the foundry in 1973 or the decommissioning of coal and heavy oil-fired boiler plants for our own power generation in 2000.
Environmental protection has been institutionalised through the introduction of an environmental management system; since 1996 the German Wieland sites have been certified according to DIN EN ISO 14001, the main production at the Vöhringen site has additionally been validated according to the European environmental standard EMAS. The integration of an energy management system into the environmental management system was a trend-setting measure in 2012, as has been the increasing recycling of wooden packaging materials.
Thanks to targeted investments, Wieland is now reducing CO2 emissions by almost 2,500 tonnes per year. By using waste and residual heat, around 2,000 MWh of energy can be fed back into production in Vöhringen alone every year.
Last but not least, the products of many Wieland customers also make a significant contribution to climate protection in key future areas. For example with high-performance tubes for heat transfer, copper components for electric mobility or cables for offshore wind turbines.
Wieland has operated its own hydroelectric power station in Vöhringen since 1905. Now state-of-the-art, it generates around 7 million kilowatt hours of electricity per year.
