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DESIGNED FOR RECYCLING

Packaging and materials

Our packaging code

Packaging inevitably becomes waste. To prevent that waste from becoming a problem, we adhere to our packaging code. We design our product packaging based on the principles of avoiding, reducing, reprocessing, and improving. We work with skilled partners to develop solutions that contribute to an efficient circular economy. As a founding member of Forum Rezyklat—a coalition of major players including dm, Der Grüne Punkt, Henkel, Unilever, and WWF—we actively promote recycling and the use of recycled materials.

At Brauns-Heitmann, we’ve already made significant progress in recent years. All our folding boxes are FSC®-certified, with most containing 95 per cent recycled paper. Nearly all bottles in our product range are over 90 per cent recyclable, and more than 50 per cent of our bottles and buckets are made from recycled materials. Within the HEITMANN pure product line, all bottles contain at least 97 per cent recycled content. Looking ahead, we aim to do even better. We will focus on monomaterials, which are particularly recyclable, and reduce the amount of virgin plastic in our packaging by another 50 per cent by 2024. By 2027, all Brauns-Heitmann packaging will be fully reusable, recyclable, or compostable.

At Brauns-Heitmann, we’ve already made significant progress in recent years. All our folding boxes are FSC®-certified, with most containing 95 percent recycled paper. Nearly all bottles in our range are over 90 percent recyclable, and more than 50 percent of our bottles and buckets are made from recycled materials. In our HEITMANN pure brand, all bottles are made from at least 97 percent recycled content. Looking ahead, we aim to do even better. We will focus on monomaterials, which are particularly recyclable, and reduce the amount of virgin plastic in our packaging by another 50 percent by 2024. By 2027, all Brauns-Heitmann packaging will be fully reusable, recyclable, or compostable.

of all folding boxes made from recycled paper
< 0 %
packaging materials made from recycled materials
about 0
of all bottles made from recycled materials*
< 0 %

The four steps of design for recycling

  • Avoid

    Wherever possible, we avoid using packaging material. To do this, we optimise dimensions and eliminate anything superfluous. For example, we have eliminated the handle on our HEITMANN pure Oxi buckets.

  • Reduce

    How thick does packaging need to be? We minimise the material and wall thicknesses of our packaging, enabling us to make significant savings. Extensive tests guarantee the safety and shelf life of the products.

  • Reprocess

    We use recycled materials such as waste paper and recyclates for our packaging. By using recyclates, we have been able to reduce the proportion of new plastic in our bottles by over 90 per cent.

  • Optimise

    New developments are constantly improving the possibilities for recycling. We use these advances to further develop our packaging—for example, in the use of closures made from recycled materials or in other packaging innovations.

What exactly is recyclate?

Plastic has many excellent qualities: it is lightweight, durable, and long-lasting. However, that durability becomes a disadvantage when it ends up as waste in the environment. Through an effective circular economy, we can turn this durability into an advantage. Plastic waste can be transformed into recyclate, which can then be made into new products. At Brauns-Heitmann, we use what is known as post-consumer recyclate (PCR). PCR is derived from plastic waste collected from households, industry, and commerce. It has been used, recycled, and repurposed in a new form, helping to protect the environment and support climate protection.

  • Recycled bottles save energy during production and thus reduce CO2 emissions.
  • Less new plastic needs to be produced.
  • The incineration of plastic is reduced.
  • Recycled materials are an important building block for a sustainable circular economy.

Since 2019, we have continuously increased the proportion of recycled material in the plastic bottles of our brands. Today, for example, all bottles in the HEITMANN pure series are made from at least 97 per cent recycled material. After use, the empty recycled bottles can be disposed of in the recycling collection system and thus remain part of the circular economy.

Waste separation is teamwork

Waste separation depends on participation. Correctly separated waste is an important part of a functioning circular economy. At Brauns-Heitmann, we are committed to this in a number of ways. We separate the waste in our factory as much as possible and are continuously reducing our waste volume. We ensure that our product packaging is recyclable and provide users with tips for proper disposal. Together with our partners—such as Forum Rezyklat and mülltrennung-wirkt.de—we are committed to further development and education on the topic of recycling.

Read more here

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