03 March 2023
Standing out with enkelfähig solutions
Not only do they know exactly what their customers need, but also have an eye on the entire life cycle of their products, from raw material sourcing to disposal. With their expertise, they are thus indispensable for achieving one of Haniel's strategic goals: By 2025, we want to generate 70% of our revenue with enkelfähig products and solutions. Let's catch up with three colleagues who are working every day to achieve this goal.
Sustainability makes its way into e-commerce business
The development of any enkelfähig product starts with the mindset of a company, says Daniela Senkbeil from TAKKT’s I&P division: "If we are serious about sustainability, then it must also be reflected in the DNA of a company." As Vice President Category Management, Daniela is responsible for product and portfolio management at TAKKT Group’s Industrial & Packaging division, I&P for short. Together with her team, Daniela works towards anchoring the enkelfähig-approach across the division’s brands and especially its product portfolio. Packaging, as for example used by e-commerce businesses, is a major challenge when it comes to environmental protection. Yet, undeniably, some form of packaging is needed in most cases.
Product line 'terra' meets demand for eco-friendly materials
Daniela and her colleagues have made it their mission to provide their customers with the most sustainable selection of packaging materials available on the market – for example, with the product line "terra" by I&P brand ratioform. With this offering, the brand is actively driving a trend in the industry, Daniela is convinced: "In the coming years, the packaging industry will continue to develop in such a way that conventional materials will be increasingly reduced and replaced with new and more sustainable ones." ratioform is already showing how this can look: straw instead of styrofoam for insulation, biodegradable padding, bin bags made from recycled wild plastic – a more sustainable alternative can be found for most items.
Products made from materials that avoid emissions, pollutants and plastic waste are increasingly in demand from ratioform’s customers: "We measure the sales we generate with enkelfähig products. On a scale of 1 to 5, these products must achieve at least a 3 in our Enkelfähig Score evaluation system," Daniela explains. "The terra product line, for example, has a score of 4.6." This has been well received in the market: since the start of the initiative, the share of enkelfähig products in ratioform’s total turnover has doubled, Daniela says. A great incentive for her team to continue working on the development of enkelfähig solutions and to inspire their customers with more and more new offers.
Supermarket shelves show a trend towards recyclable packaging
Ingo Hamel, Head of Innovation R&D at packaging machine manufacturer Rovema, too, has his customers’ needs constantly in mind. The company mainly produces machines for the food industry that can package pasta or coffee according to manufacturers' individual specifications. Ingo understands the trend toward sustainable packaging has also made its way into the food industry. Since joining Rovema as an engineer he has been observing the development of the packaging market for more than 24 years: "What used to be packaged in plastic as a matter of course can now increasingly be found on supermarket shelves in paper bags or completely recyclable films.”
About 130 material tests for the right set-up of machine and packaging material
As a result, enkelfähig solutions in Rovema's case are machines that can process these new materials – not something that can be taken for granted in this highly specialized segment. Even small deviations in the thickness of the paper or its coating must be considered when configuring a machine. "Our services include advice on suitable packaging materials, the sale of a suitable machine or even converting an existing one," Ingo explains. Close cooperation with material manufacturers and regularly testing new packaging materials are part of Rovema’s secret to success. Every year, Ingo and his team test around 130 new materials in Rovema's 1000m2 technical center - mostly on behalf of existing or potential customers. The results enable engineers and technicians to constantly adjust their machines to the latest, innovative packaging materials and thus further develop Rovema's range of products and services.
"When a customer chooses one of our packaging machines, they enter into a long-term partnership with us, as our machines’ lifespan lasts for decades," Ingo says. Just such a partnership has existed for many years between Rovema and pasta manufacturer Bernbacher. In 2018, the family-owned company decided to change the packaging of its pasta products incrementally from plastic film to paper. Rovema has been supporting this project with a great deal of know-how ever since: In close cooperation with the material supplier and thanks to numerous tests, the experts were able to convert Bernbacher's existing Rovema machines so that they can process the chosen paper just as reliably as the foil previously used. Now consumers can find many varieties of Bernbacher pasta, for example "organic spelt," in their new paper packaging on the shelves.
CWS thinks in circular models
Using new, environmentally friendly materials is an important step on the road to becoming enkelfähig - but ultimately the aim is to enable a completely circular product life cycle wherever possible. Pioneering such solutions in the Haniel portfolio is hygiene service provider CWS. “CWS asks the question ‘How do we ensure a circular material flow for our products?’ at the very beginning of development”, Daniel Georg Oberle explains. As product manager, he has direct influence on the composition of CWS’s offering and on how sustainable existing and new solutions become. Daniel observes an increased demand for eco-friendly products across the entire value chain: "Sustainability is not a nice to have for our business model, but essential for our long-term competitiveness. We at CWS started early on this journey and are now able to act rather than react compared to our competitors."
Customer exchange is essential
CWS's strategy places a lot of emphasis on enkelfähig products and services: By 2025, most of its new business is to be generated with enkelfähig offerings. To achieve this, the company wants to continuously develop its solutions further. For Daniel, constant exchange with customers is essential – whether with new clients or those who already have been with CWS for a long time: "I get a lot of useful feedback from them. That’s how we incorporate customer needs and expectations directly into our development process.”
Recycled PET bottles as source material for 'GreenMats'
CWS also uses the Enkelfähig Score to compare different solutions based on their sustainability and profitability. The evaluation is based on a comprehensive life cycle analysis that examines the product's lifespan from raw material sourcing to disposal. In short: sustainability is viewed holistically at CWS. "Our most sustainable dust control mats, the so-called GreenMats are a great example," Daniel explains. "We use recycled PET bottles as source material. Many consider the mats to be enkelfähig for that reason alone. But there is more to our GreenMats: we use polyester yarn that is dyed through and does not wash out over time. This results in high color stability and extends the lifespan of the mat.” Additionally, Daniel says, the new mats take 25 percent less time to dry after washing, thereby saving a lot of energy. At the end of their service life, the mats are also further processed in a downcycling process. All of this results in a remarkable Enkelfähig Score of 4.5.
"It is precisely this approach – keeping products in the cycle for as long as possible and operating sustainably – that motivates me personally and why I decided to join CWS on this journey”, says Daniel.
