For a green future

Careful use of the resources available to us and the avoidance of environmental pollution are among the Ensinger Group's most important strategic tasks. The focus is on continuously reducing the CO2eq footprint at our sites in Europe, Asia and the USA. An important prerequisite for this is the sophisticated control of energy consumption, the purchase of electricity from renewable sources and the conversion of all processes for which fossil fuels still have to be used today.  

A company's activities also lead to further environmental impacts, which are recorded in the life cycle assessment. The careful handling of hazardous substances is of particular importance here.  


Energy management 

We strive to sustainably reduce the energy consumption of all locations in the long term. The basis for this is an ISO 50001 certified energy management system. Consumption is recorded on this basis and priorities for savings measures are derived. So-called "energy teams" work continuously on improvements. In recent years, savings of over 300 MWh p.a. have been achieved. The measures are very diverse and range from the use of new consumption-saving technologies and the monitoring of compressed air leaks to the precise regulation of consumers depending on the load level.
solar panels in front of Ensinger building

Reduction of climate-damaging emissions

The reduction of direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions is at the centre of the company's climate targets. The Paris climate goals are the benchmark. We aim to reduce our emissions by 45 % by 2031 (base year 2022) and to reduce emissions in the company and along the value chain by over 90 % by 2041 and 2046 (see reduction targets for more details).  
  • The company's greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have been systematically recorded and analysed for the German plants since 2021 and for all locations worldwide since 2022. The balance is based on the Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHG) standard. Emissions are reported according to their origin, the so-called scopes, 1-3. 

    Scope 1 includes emissions from the operation of the company's facilities, which require fossil fuels. Scope 2 includes emissions that arise from the generation of electricity purchased by the company. Scope 3 includes emissions that arise as a result of the company's activities with external parties, in particular from the extraction, production and delivery of raw materials and supplies as well as from the transport of the products sold. 

    Figure: The majority of the company's greenhouse gas emissions are generated during the production and transport of the raw materials that are purchased (main component Scope 3). This is followed by emissions from the generation of purchased electricity (Scope 2) and from combustion processes in the company's facilities and vehicles (Scope 1).

    In the base year (financial year 2022, FY22), the GHG emissions of the entire Ensinger Group were around 330,000 tonnes of CO2eq. More than 90 per cent of emissions occur along the value chain (Scope 3), primarily in the production of raw materials and merchandise. In the following year, emissions fell by 12 per cent, primarily due to lower demand, high inventories and correspondingly reduced purchasing volumes. 

    The following chart shows the emissions categories from Scope 3 excluding raw materials and merchandise as well as Scopes 1 and 2.  

    Figure: Emissions of the group excluding raw materials and merchandise by main polluters

    The largest share of emissions comes from the generation of purchased electricity, in particular from fossil-fueled power plants (Scope 2), the transport of goods, the infrastructure for generating energy, employee commuting, the landfilling of waste (all part of Scope 3) and the combustion of fossil fuels in the company for process heat, heating and the operation of vehicles (Scope 1). 

    The decrease in emissions compared to the previous year is primarily due to the increased purchase of electricity from renewable sources.  

  • For the definition of greenhouse gas reduction targets, Ensinger has committed to the Science Based Target Initiative (SBTi) to formulate its targets in accordance with the requirements of the Paris Climate Agreement and submit them for review. Both the targets and the means chosen should be targeted and trustworthy. The plan is to reduce emissions by 45 % for Scope 1 - 3 by 2031 (base year 2022). By 2041, emissions for scopes 1 and 2 are to be reduced by over 90 %. Emissions for Scope 3 are to be reduced by 90 % by 2046. 

    Figure: Planned reduction in greenhouse gas emissions for Scope 1 to 3, actual emissions for comparison.
    The company is making good progress here. In particular, a higher proportion of electricity from renewable sources and efficiency measures have made it possible to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as planned.

Product carbon footprint

The footprint of a product reflects the amount of greenhouse gases associated with its manufacture along the value chain and is increasingly being taken into account in the development of components and systems.
Figure: The diagram shows the greenhouse gas emissions over the entire product life cycle from the "cradle" (crave), the synthesis of the polymer, to disposal (grave) using the example of one kilogramme of semi-finished PET material. The proportion of emissions caused by Ensinger's molding of the raw material is around 15 %. By far the largest proportion of emissions comes from the synthesis (polymerisation) of the material. The individual use of the material by the consumer is excluded from the analysis.

EPSM-Committment – a standardised framework for life cycle assessments

An industry-wide standard for calculating the product carbon footprint (PCF) for semi-finished products was developed in 2025

The members of the EPSM (Engineering Polymer Shapes for Machining Association, a sector group of EuPC) – Ensinger, Gehr, Licharz, Röchling and Zell Materials – have come together to establish a uniform framework for calculating the Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) of technical plastic stock shapes. This collective commitment represents a major step forward in promoting environmental measures for greater transparency, comparability and commitment throughout the semi-finished product industry. By aligning on a standardised method for PCF calculation, EPSM members empower customers to make better-informed decisions based on verifiable environmental data. Consistency in PCF calculation across the market ensures that the environmental performance of products can be objectively measured and compared, driving innovation and continuous improvement throughout the value chain. This initiative aims to help strengthen the credibility of engineering plastics in a world increasingly concerned with assessing and reducing emissions.

In summary, the members within the EPSM initiative have agreed to consider the following four categories in the PCF calculation: Raw Materials, Transport, Production and Packaging. The following agreements, were reached:
  • Criteria have been defined according to which the LCAs of raw materials (provided by suppliers) are to be checked. The criteria to be checked include: 
    • Standard after which the PCF was calculated. e.g. ISO 14040/14044/14967
    • Methods that are accepted e.g. EF3.0 or newer
    • Data source: Primary data e.g. site-specific and secondary data according to recognised databases e.g. Ecoinvent v 3.9 or newer
    • Accounting period: e.g. not older than 5 years for primary data
    • System boundaries: cradle-to-gate – no significant cut-offs (<5%)
    • Functional unit: 1 kg
    Only if all criteria are met, the value may be used. If not all criteria are met or known, the members agree not to use the value. Instead, secondary data from established databases (Ecoinvent, GaBi, PlasticsEurope) should be used.
    • Best case scenario: primary data from logistic partners
    • First more precise estimate using recognized transport route tools
    • Worst case estimation – if no primary data is available – default distances provided by Joint Research Centre of the European Commission
     
  • Individual location data must be used 
  • For the accounting of packaging, we agree on the application of a standard procedure. But any other more specific accounting method can also be applied and is considered to be the preferred option.
  • Recycling material is calculated using the cut-off allocation approach, which ensures compliance with ISO 14040/14044. The cut-off method assigns environmental impacts only to the processes occurring within the respective life cycle of a product. This approach does not account for any impacts or avoided impacts beyond the defined product life cycle boundary. The boundary between life cycles is established based on the lowest market value of the material, as per the international Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) system. This boundary is typically the point before waste material is collected for recycling. Consequently, transportation and reprocessing operations related to recycling are attributed to the product system utilizing the recycled material, while burdens from the previous product system and burdens associated with the treatment of the product at the end of its life are cut off here.
  • Members commit to review the Agreement and the relevant criteria on a regular basis to reflect the dynamic nature of life cycle assessments. Reviews will be conducted every three years, starting from the date of the official adoption of this procedure by the Executive Committee (ExCom), or earlier if a member identifies significant updates that require immediate action.
    Note: The criteria listed for conducting Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) are freely accessible to all non-members and third-party entities without charge. EPSM members have developed and agreed upon the criteria for conducting LCAs without imposing any restrictions that would prevent non-members from adhering to the same criteria.
We are happy to provide you with certificates and advise you on all questions relating to material selection and component optimisation.


Life cycle assessment

Ensinger was one of the first plastics processors to carry out a comprehensive assessment of all the environmental impacts of its activities. Environmental impacts are quantified according to their type and severity and weighted comparatively with so-called environmental impact points. The results help to analyse environmental effects beyond global warming - exploitation of resources, pollution of soil and air, production of hazardous substances – and to take measures where possible.  

Life cycle assessment, years 2022 and 2023

*Others include all categories with less than 1 % share of the total result.

Environmental Aspects, years 2022 and 2023

*Others include all categories with less than 1% share of the total result. Source: Ecoinvent v391

The first improvements concern the reduced environmental impact through the purchase of electricity from renewable energies and the planned replacement of auxiliary materials containing scarce rare earths.