Environmental and climate protection? For us, of course!
Probably no other issue is receiving more attention today than environmental and climate protection. We are continuously optimizing our processes to meet this global obligation. You ask yourself, how does RST do that? Join us on a short excursion....
- Packaging material in general
- LD-PE
- Cardboard boxes
- Reuse of cardboard boxes
- RoHS and REACh
- ISO 14001
- Lead-free brass
- Conclusion
Packaging material in general
With regard to our environment, the packaging material comes into focus as a particularly important and critical point. Although we always ensure in direct interaction with our suppliers that the most resource-conserving materials possible are used, the human factor and therefore you, our customers and partners, play a decisive role here. As good as the materials used are recyclable, sustainability ultimately depends on the extent to which our packaging is fed into the recycling loop in the further course. If it ends up in nature, it damages the environment and thus the entire flora and fauna.
We therefore ask you to sort and dispose of packaging materials in accordance with the generally applicable guidelines. This is the only way we can do something good for our environment together.
LD-PE
Primarily for heavier metal products, we use LD-PE (Low Density Polyethylene) bags. Below are some important facts about this material:
LD-PE...
- requires very low material thicknesses compared to paper
- is tear-resistant, weatherproof and also food-safe
- can be produced in an energy-saving and low-emission manner
- can be completely and infinitely recycled
- consists of 100% carbon and hydrogen
- does not produce toxic gases and waste water
- burns to carbon dioxide and water
- does not contain plasticizers
Important: LD-PE packaging belongs in the recycling loop, where it can be reused almost 100%. In nature, the material takes 100 years or more to decompose into microplastics, which can harm the environment and enter the food cycle.
Cardboard boxes
Primarily for lighter products made of plastic, we use packaging made of recycled cardboard. Below are some important facts about this material:
Cardboard packaging made from recycled material....
- can be fed into an almost 100% closed-loop recycling system
- consist mainly of wood fibers or cellulose (natural product)
- can be reused very well (can be used 2-3 times)
Important: The production of new cardboard requires large quantities of wood, water, energy and chemicals. Therefore, used cardboard boxes belong in the recycling loop in order to keep the need for new goods as low as possible.
Reuse of cardboard boxes
Since the recycling process for paper and cardboard also requires a lot of energy, water and chemicals, it makes sense to reuse packaging material several times. At RST, too, outer cartons in which material was delivered by the supplier are sometimes used several times. You can recognize these cartons by our stamp "Box reused. We care about nature!". Of course, when we reuse packaging materials, we make sure that they are in good condition and reliably fulfill their actual purpose.
As our customer, supplier and partner, first think about whether packaging really needs to be disposed of directly just because it may not be 100% in line with your corporate design or has minor blemishes. Often it deserves a second chance without being sent directly to the recycling process, which ultimately also requires resources. Raising the awareness of the responsible employees is desirable and recommended.
RoHS and REACh
Within the framework of the production, storage and distribution of any product, legal requirements for the protection of society and the environment must be complied with. For this reason, the most complete possible compliance with the EU regulations REACh and RoHS plays a particularly important role for us.
REACh is a European chemicals regulation (No. 1907/2006) that deals primarily with the registration, evaluation, authorization and restriction of chemicals. The principle is that manufacturers and importers take responsibility for the chemicals they use individually and ensure responsible handling of the relevant substances. REACh is not only one of the most modern, but also one of the strictest chemical laws in the world. There is an obligation to pass on information if a so-called candidate substance (substance of very high concern = SVHC) is present in an article in a proportion of more than 0.1%. More information on the content of the regulation can also be found at: https://echa.europa.eu/de/candidate-list-table andhttps://www.umweltbundesamt.de/themen/chemikalien/reach-chemikalien-reach.
The RoHS Directive 2011/65/EU and 2015/863/EU regulates the restriction of the use of ten hazardous substances in electronic equipment. The aim is to bring devices into circulation without hazardous substances. The German implementation is transposed into national law with the Electrical and Electronic Equipment Substances Ordinance. Every four years, new substances are banned or exemptions expire or are newly included. In July 2019, the list of substances in Annex II was expanded. The four substances were already included in the REACh candidate list in 2008 and 2010, respectively. More information on the content of the directive can also be found at https://www.zvei.org/themen/rohs-richtlinie and https://www.vde.com/tic-de/news/2019-1/rohs-richtlinie-erweitert.
Due to the complete REACh documentation, we can confirm that our products currently do not exceed the de minimis limits prescribed in the RoHS 2015/863/EU Directive.
ISO 14001
We make sure that our suppliers are certified according to ISO 14001 and can thus demonstrate a corresponding environmental management system. You can also find more information on the content of the standard at https://www.intertek.de/systemzertifizierung/iso-14001/.
Lead-free brass - products now available
In recent years, the legal requirements have been tightened more and more. A complete ban on lead is becoming increasingly likely in the medium to long term. Lead is not absolutely necessary, but considerably facilitates the machinability of the material MS58. Eliminating lead is technically possible, but requires significantly longer machine runtimes and thus greater use of energy and resources. This factor will also have a noticeable impact on the pricing of lead-free products. It is true that there are restrictions and disclosure requirements according to REACh and RoHS (Annex III Exemption 6c), which we comply with by making appropriate declarations. Beyond that, however, there have been no clear bans to date.
Not least due to the general market requirements, we offer, as an alternative to our proven products made of MS58, new cable glands and accessories made of lead-free brass:
For further information please see our flyer.
Conclusion
Environmental and climate protection is a matter close to our hearts. We don't just talk, we act and are always working on optimizing our internal processes (also) for the benefit of nature.
Do you have any questions or suggestions regarding the aforementioned points?
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