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Freudenberg North America to eliminate manufacturing waste

21 Jun '12

5 min read

In an ambitious drive to reach zero manufacturing waste in its North American facilities, Freudenberg North America's 16 companies will increasingly pursue industrial processes that focus on recycled product content, plant recycling, lower water and energy consumption and increased use of sustainable materials over the next decade.

The companies were challenged to reach this objective by parent corporation, Freudenberg and Co., during a recent internal Global Innovation Forum on raw materials and innovation. The two-day event, annually conducted and simultaneously video-cast from locations in Germany, Brazil, the United States, China and Japan, allowed Freudenberg's global contingent of scientists, chemists and other technical specialists to review green projects, share best practices and participate in critical discussions about ongoing environmental issues.

The impact that global megatrends such as population growth, global warming and an increasing scarcity of resources is having on Freudenberg's business and innovations – and how the corporation will respond – was central to the Global Innovation Forum.

"In the past, we have successfully issued challenges to our manufacturing facilities to achieve zero defects and zero accidents," said Dr. Martin Stark, a member of the Freudenberg and Co. Management Board. "We are now issuing a challenge to achieve zero manufacturing waste. The trends driving our business today mandate this kind of response if we are to maintain long-term growth and profitability."

In North America, Freudenberg companies provide products and services as diverse as consumer cleaning products; medical devices; seals and gaskets for the transportation and construction industries; industrial components for the energy and oil and gas industries; nonwoven filters and materials; information technology outsourcing; and specialty lubricants and release agents. All of the companies are engaged in implementing processes and programs that will improve the environmental sustainability of their products and plants, said Leesa Smith, president, Freudenberg North America Limited Partnership.

"Freudenberg's North America companies are committed to developing the highest quality products available in manufacturing facilities that protect people, communities and the environment," Smith said. "Freudenberg has a 160-year history of conducting its business with integrity and a commitment to the welfare of its plant communities. The confluence of new environmental challenges and this long-standing corporate culture is pushing our people to develop green industrial innovations that will help solidify our success – and the health of our communities – into the next century."

Among the environmental initiatives that Freudenberg North America companies are pursuing:
• Freudenberg Nonwovens, headquartered in Durham, N.C., uses millions of pounds of 100 percent post consumer (PCR) and post industrial recycled plastic annually to produce Lutradur ECO, a polyester industrial backing used in building and construction substrates, landscaping materials and wallpaper and carpet backings. The company produces the material using a proprietary, closed-loop manufacturing process in plants that reuse all of their material scrap. Commercial use of Lutradur ECO is rapidly rising as contractors seek new ways to improve the sustainability of their own building and construction designs.
• Freudenberg Household Products, headquartered in an environmentally certified building in Aurora, Ill, manufactures recycled household and institutional cleaning products, including recycled broom fibers. The company established a joint venture with SP Berner Plastics Group S.L, to consolidate production of recycled mop and broom components such as handles and bristles. The consolidation has reduced the company's carbon footprint by eliminating 22,800 tons of CO2 that would have been produced by shipping bristle fiber stock from Italy.
• Freudenberg Texbond, based in Macon, Ga., recycles more than 1 million plastic drink bottles a day in production of its nonwoven roofing membrane and building materials. Its products address soundproofing, waterproofing and thermal insulation challenges for the construction industry while helping customers meet green purchasing initiatives. Texbond processes the plastic from bottles into polyester fibers, which are further processed into fabric.