Environmental Information

Transcription

1 Environmental Information

2 Contents Environmental Information Foreword Raw Materials Water Energy Residual Materials Transport Commitment Milestones The photographs on the front page, and the ones on pages 2, 5, and 10, were taken around our factories in Oberkirch and Kehl and generously made available to us by the Koehler Photo Club. Photo on front page and page 10: Achim Nimmergut 2 Photo: Volker Schmaloer

3 Foreword Foreword Kehl mill The Koehler Paper Group produces over 500,000 tons of specialized paper and board annually and sells them all around the world. As an industrial enterprise we are especially aware of the responsibility we bear towards our customers, our employees, society in general, and the environment. The parameters governing our activities are defined in the Koehler Guidelines and are binding for all. Everything humans do affects the environment. The effective use of natural raw materials, and the protection and management of the environment, are prerequisites for the company and its staff for sustainable economic growth and the well-being of people and society. Ecology and economy have equal status in our management system. All of our major processes are defined in a clear manner and certified according to DIN EN ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 50001, ISO 27001, IEC OHSAS 18001, PEFC and FSC (C016508). The effectiveness of our management system is regularly certified by independent external auditors, and evolved by our internal auditors. Our awareness of our responsibility extends not only to the self-evident fulfillment of all the statutory requirements, it goes much further still. That is what we wish to inform you about in this brochure. Our locations are all situated in the midst of beautiful natural surroundings, which helps us to remember just how important conservation is. Kai Furler Frank Lendowski Werner Ruckenbrod Oberkirch mill 3

4 Raw Materials Raw Materials Cellulose is the most important raw material for the production of paper. We only use pulp that comes from manufacturers who are able to prove their sustainable forestry practices and environmentally friendly production processes. This cellulose originates from responsibly managed forests, plantations, and wood chippings. All of it is environmentally and forestry certified (PEFC and/or FSC ). Further more, the EU Timber Regulation (EUTR) came into force in March 2013 and was carried over into national law under the Act on Trade of Illegally Felled Timber (HolzSiG). This legislation requires us to ensure that the wood products we use (i.e. pulp) are not obtained from illegal logging. Our Greiz mill manufactures recycled paper based on waste paper. That is why most Euler products are certified with the Blue Angel, which stands for environmen tally friendly processes. Raw materials are valuable and a scarce resource, which means we are obliged to handle them carefully. Our youngest subsidiary, the Katz Group in Weisenbach, utilizes wood such as spruce and pine thinned from local forests for the manufacture of its wood-based products. All of the other raw materials are checked carefully in terms of their environmental relevance by various specialist departments using a certified approval procedure. An assessment system that takes into account parameters relevant to waste water is used to determine the potential effects on water quality. This process was deve loped by Koehler in conjunction with the certification authorities, and is a benchmark in the industry. 4 Cellulose store in Oberkirch

5 Water Water Over the past six years we have been able to reduce the specific water demand in Oberkirch by 40%. Using only about four liters per kilogram of paper, we have achieved one of Europe s best figures in Kehl. A chemical-management system developed by Koehler has helped significantly to relieve the burden on our waters. It allows critical ingredients to be recognized early on, and their effects limited or replacement materials selected. This water is purified in our own treatment plant. We have regularly improved our numerous cleaning stages so that contaminant levels in the purified waste water are now well below the legal limits. Our own patents and developments for waste water treatment have led to steadily more effective use of this resource and to relieve the environment. Koehler uses an ecofriendly energy production with its five own hydroelectric power plants in Lautenbach, Hubacker, Oberkirch and Weisenbach. Today, almost a billion people have no access to clean drinking water that means one in seven of us. Photo: Klaus Dieter Freund Summer on the Rhine, near which our Kehl plant is situated. 5

6 Energy Energy In Oberkirch, our own coal-fired combined heat and power plant provides the energy we need. The use of cogeneration enables us to achieve efficiency levels of more than 89%. Circulating fluidized-bed combustion, one of the very latest power plant technologies as well as effective filter technology, means we are well within the already very strict legal limits. The combustion of paper fibre residue and energy-rich secondary fuels allows us to save primary energy materials and therefore reduce CO ² emissions. At the Kehl plant, biomass-fired combined heat and power plants supply our basic heat energy needs and are CO ² neutral. The plant s process steam generator utilizes eco-friendly natural gas and covers peaks in demand. The global demand for energy is growing. For this reason energy prices will continue to rise and efficient energy management will become ever more important. Using replacement regular fuels and steam provided by biomass power plants from B E B Bio Energie Baden GmbH has allowed us to reduce our CO ² output by more than 70,000 metric tons per year. Technically sophisticated heat recycling systems help us to use energy more efficiently at all of our sites. Our company has teams dedicated to saving energy, which means we are continually improving in this respect; indeed, over recent years we have reduced the amount of energy needed to produce one kilogram of paper by 20%. All of our combined heat and power plants operate using the latest technology. Our filters clean the combustion air so effectively that we are 90% below the legal limit. 6 BEB Bio Energie Baden GmbH biomass power plants in Kehl

7 Residual Materials Residual Materials Our priority is to avoid waste altogether. Reusing production waste is an important link in the chain: avoid, reduce, recycle. If avoiding and reusing waste are not possible, then we attempt to recycle the materials thermally in our plants. This helps save energy and reduce CO ². If we have our residual materials disposed of, then we only use certified disposal companies. External and internal audits guarantee a high level of safety during disposal. We always aim to dispose of materials nearby, and to this end we often help dis posal companies to achieve certification and to handle the materials correctly. Koehler offers the surrounding municipalities the opportunity to utilize their sewage sludge in its combustion processes. This is good for the environment because it means the sludge does not need to be spread on the surrounding fields. At the central depot at Kahlenberg in Ringsheim waste materials are converted into replacement regular fuel and utilized at the Oberkirch power plant to generate energy. More than 10,000 metric tons of this fuel is burned at the Oberkirch combined heat and power plant each year. Because it has a high biogenic content, this fuel can be used to substitute coal, which in this particular case has led to an annual reduction in CO ² emissions of approximately 5,000 metric tons. Every German produces approximately 460 kg of waste per year. Combined heat and power plant in Oberkirch 7

8 Transport Transport Koehler paper is exported worldwide, which obliges us to choose eco-friendly methods of transport. One big step in this direction has been our decision to move our transport off the roads and onto the waterways. Containers are no longer transported by truck on highways; instead they are loaded onto barges in Kehl and taken from there to the big international ports. Within a period of just seven months this has allowed us to save 850,000 truck kilometers and reduce CO ² output by 35%. Most of the raw materials we use are delivered by rail. More and more goods and people are transported quickly over longer and longer distances throughout the world, which has led to an increase in environmentally harmful emissions. When it comes to international long-distance transport we try to ensure that the delivery companies we use drive using low-noise and low-emission engines that comply with the latest European standards and are certified in accordance with DIN EN ISO This has allowed us to reduce CO ² emissions by 15%. But we also take care of the details. Our own fleet is also equipped with lowemission vehicles. Many staff use bicycles to get around the extensive roads and pathways within our plants. Inside the production facilities we utilize automated, battery-powered tambour transporters along with numerous electric stackers. Intensive use of new media (Internet, telecommunications, interactive conferencing) also saves a lot of travel. 8 Loading containers at the port of Kehl

9 Commitment Commitment to the Environment At Koehler we don t just talk about environmental protection, we do something about it. The long list of environmental awards that the Koehler Group has accumulated over the years for its responsible treatment of the environment documents our high conservation standards. Our locations are near to people and to the countryside, which means we have special obligations. Treating our resources with care is an inseparable part of se curing the future of our company. Working in close collaboration with regional conservation associations, our staff are motivated to contribute actively towards conservation in the area, whether it be by means of planting campaigns, setting up nesting boxes, removing invasive plants, or any of a number of other conservation activities. For instance: for more than 16 years we have been sponsoring streams and waterways, an activity that is integrated into our training programs so that our newest employees gain an awareness of conservation from the outset. We aren t just responsible for what we do, we are also responsible for what we don t do. The participation in committees on environment is an important pillar, carry bill by social responsibility. Koehler staff working for the environment 9

10 Milestones Milestones in Koehler s environmental policy Technical milestones When Paper Machine 1 was commissioned, two gas-heated steam generators were also put into operation. The waste water is pretreated and fed into the municipal water treatment works. Construction of a two-stage biological treatment plant with trickling filters. Treated waste water fed directly into the Rhine Extension of the sewage treatment plant Introduction of the damage index (for assessing substances and their relevance to waste water) 1999 First environmental report (Technical implementation of action campaigns) 2002 The majority of steam is now supplied by the biomass-fired combined heat and power plant from B E B Bio Energie Baden GmbH Organizational milestones Systematic recording of major internal sources of noise. Quick orientation measurements at six external noise reference points defined by the authorities. Introduction of an integrated management system: quality, safety, environment Recognition as an industrial plant under 19 l WHG (Water Resources Act) First environmental report (informing business and departmental directors on key environmental aspects) Drawing up and implementation of the conservation effector system 1993 Voluntary participation in an odor survey by residents in the industrial areas of Strasbourg and Kehl 1996 First environmental policy 1997 Early warning system workgroup aimed at avoiding load peaks in the waste water purification plant Stream sponsorship incorporates conservation into training programs 2001 Introduction of environmental incident report (drawing up of action guidelines for managers and staff) 10

11 Partial current treatment in waste-waterpurification plant (patented process) Modification of the second biological cleaning stage (trickling filters replaced by high-load biological system) Certification in accordance with DIN EN ISO /2008 Steam provided by biomass at HKW 2 from B E B Bio Energie Baden GmbH Comparison of two paper machines energy properties Replacement of oldest steam generator Drawing up and monitoring objectives for stream sponsorship (combating invasive plants, planting new plants to support biodiversity) Rules of procedure, industrial safety, health protection, and environmental protection Certification in accordance with DIN EN ISO (in collaboration with the IHK) Common policy applied to all management subsystems Environmental information made available to all employees and managers in the Koehler Information System Conservation law database and the latest statutes made available in the KIP Energy-saving workgroup (permanent organizational facility) 2009 Certification in accordance with DIN EN ISO Appointment and training of safety and environmental officers for our training programs 2007 Environmental Manual revised Membership of the Association for Promoting the Rheinauen Nature Park 2009 Training of safety and environmental staff and managers Introduction of management effector system (how to deal with suggestions and complaints coming from local residents) Conservation included in conferences/meetings 2010 Main energy flows depicted clearly in a Sankey diagram (project in conjunction with Pforzheim University) 11

12 Papierfabrik August Koehler SE Hauptstraße 2 D Oberkirch Phone Fax / GB 0.1 / Digital printed on Konica Minolta bizhub PRO C6500. Euler creative board champagne 270 gsm and 120 gsm