Packaging
A large part of the products we manufacture is delivered to our customers without packaging: Loose sugar, pressed pulp, carbolime or bioethanol are just a few examples. Nevertheless, it is not always possible to dispense with packaging completely, especially when products are delivered in smaller quantities.
To minimize negative impacts of our product packaging we are avoiding disposable packaging as much as possible and we are giving strong preference to environmentally friendly packages. Our aim is to increase the proportion of recycled material or renewable raw materials in packaging and the proportion of recyclable and home-compostable packaging material in the necessary packaging we place on the market, for example when selling small quantities or to end consumers.
Freiberger: You can't do without plastic entirely
Freiberger has been committed to promoting the circular economy and conserving resources since 2018 as part of the “Rethinking plastic” initiative. The use of recyclable packaging materials, which have already been successfully tested in the facilities and are already being used in some cases, is a key part of this. The initiative aims to systematically separate plastic waste, increase the proportion of recycled materials and reduce the amount of plastic used. As part of the initiative, Freiberger is also working with research institutions and other Südzucker Group companies on various research projects on plastic substitutes. In particular, possible applications for films based on renewable raw materials are being tested.
Sugar segment: Recycling is trumps
In the financial year 2023/24 all paper and cardboard packaging used in the sugar segment in Germany, France, Poland and Belgium has been made of FSC-certified material.
CropEnergies: Lots shipped by ship and rail
With a production capacity of 1.3 million cubic metres of ethanol per year CropEnergies produces renewable ethanol at locations in Germany, Belgium, the United Kingdom and France, which mainly replaces petrol. In this way we make an important contribution to climate protection. The distribution of ethanol is also climate-friendly: Almost 100 % of our renewable ethanol finds its way to our customers, primarily large companies in the mineral oil industry, by ship or rail.
Accordingly, all of our production locations in the CropEnergies segment have rail and/or ship connections in order to provide cost-effective and sustainable logistics.
