Planet field of action

Our products are already helping to reduce weight and emissions in many industries - or create stable connections for industries of the future, such as the production of renewable energies. 

• Joining multilayer and hybrid joints in modern lightweight bodies - with RIVSET® self-pierce rivets and RIVTAC® high-speed joining
• Creating media-tight, load-bearing threads in the battery tray of electric cars - with RIVKLE® Seal Ring blind rivet nuts 
• Generating high-strength threads in plastic e-car charging plugs - with AMTEC® thread inserts 
• Reinforcing threads in wind turbines, for example in the generator area - with HELICOIL® thread inserts 
• Creating load-bearing threads in thin-walled sheet metal for fastening photovoltaic modules - with RIVKLE® blind rivet nuts

Sustainability is commonly associated with terms such as "durable", "environmentally friendly", "resource-saving" and "reusable". All of these properties also apply without restriction to one of the most commonly used fasteners: the screw. 

Screws are produced in a highly economical cold forming process. Only a small amount of energy is required in the production process, while hardly any raw material is lost. Loosening and reusing a screw is also possible without any problems - provided that the connection is suitably designed. This means that not only can an already assembled component be detached and reused, repaired or professionally recycled. The screw itself can also be easily returned to the recycling loop at the end of its service life. 

In practice, the optimal design of connections offers additional potential. However, the performance of fasteners is often not used efficiently enough. One reason for this is that technical developments are constantly creating new requirements for joining and fastening technology that are impossible for designers to keep track of. 

This is where we come in with our ECOTECH application technology consulting service. An experienced team of technicians and engineers advises and supports our customers in designing connections that are as efficient as possible - and therefore ultimately more sustainable. This is because functional optimization often ensures that an equally stable connection is created with fewer different and smaller dimensioned connecting elements than before - and therefore less material and use of resources. 

Smaller component dimensions and weight savings can also be achieved in this way. A benefit for our customers as well as for the environment. 

The Optimizing Böllhoff System (OBS) plays a fundamental role in our company when it comes to the sustainable and responsible use of resources. The basic idea of OBS is to create value without waste. 

OBS pursues the goal of optimally coordinating all activities that are necessary for value creation through process optimization and thus avoiding superfluous activities (waste). To achieve this, existing processes must be viewed from two perspectives, scrutinized and continuously improved: 

• From the perspective of the customer, whose wishes regarding availability, individuality, quality and pricing of a product must be fulfilled in the best possible way. 
• From the perspective of our company, which must always operate profitably and improve its competitiveness. 

What does OBS do? 

This question can be answered with the four basic OBS principles: 

• Ensure customer satisfaction 
• Identify value stream 
• Eliminate waste 
• Establish a continuous improvement environment

The past few years have clearly shown us the importance of a secure and price-stable energy supply: In the Böllhoff Group, process optimizations for energy-intensive areas in production are therefore particularly relevant. 

Clearly defined and ambitious savings targets are just as important as the involvement of management and intensive communication. 

An important step towards greater energy efficiency is to obtain a precise overview of all consumption. Thanks to the continuous expansion of our data collection, energy consumption can now be precisely determined in a large proportion of all production areas. 

Using various key figures, we are able to identify specific optimization potential - and reduce the relative energy consumption per production and logistics unit. 

There are individual energy saving targets here: For example, the companies with certified energy management systems have the target of reducing energy consumption per million parts produced by 1.5% per year. 

The commitment of the energy and environmental managers on site is also crucial: they carry out numerous projects at the locations in order to achieve the respective energy targets. 

In order to drive forward specific measures for energy savings, we look at two dimensions within the company: our infrastructure on the one hand and our processes on the other.

As we are a manufacturing company, many potential savings can already be achieved in the area of infrastructure. Among other things, we look at building equipment, ensure efficient lighting and ventilation in our buildings and keep our machinery up to date.

One example: In recent years, we have successively replaced our hydraulic plastic injection molding machines at the Bielefeld production site with all-electric models wherever possible. Due to their design, all-electric models are much more energy-efficient than hydraulic ones.

In addition, we delve deep into processes to identify further optimization approaches. Even small adjustments often lead to major improvements, especially in production processes. Among other things, we look at the optimization of machine parameters and the standby and ramp-up times of our machines.

With our participation in the Science Based Targets Initiative, we are also setting ourselves specific targets for the reduction of Scope 3 emissions - i.e. emissions from our value chain - for the first time from 2024. 

In Scope 1 and 2 - i.e. our direct emissions and indirect emissions from purchased energy - we are aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25% by the end of 2024 (compared to the base year 2021). We have also set ourselves the goal of being CO₂-neutral in Scope 1 and 2 by 2030.

In order to achieve our emissions targets, our reduction measures must be implemented at various levels. 

Energy management plays a key role in Scope 1 and 2. Here, we can reduce emissions by increasing efficiency and expanding and using more renewable energies. 

However, our focus is on Scope 3 - i.e. in our upstream and downstream value chain - particularly with regard to purchased goods and services. This is where we want to identify and implement appropriate savings measures through our participation in the Science Based Targets Initiative. 

The careful use of all natural resources is important to us. At the same time, as a manufacturing company, we have an increased need for resources in the production of our goods. Bringing these two poles together in the best possible way is one of our key challenges on the road to a more sustainable future.

In order to optimize our use of resources, we therefore pay particular attention to the raw materials used for our products. When it comes to resources, this is where we have the greatest leverage to make our fasteners more sustainable. We are therefore increasingly using recycled raw materials wherever this makes ecological and economic sense. In view of climate change, we are also focusing more on the issue of water management within the company.

Materials used

Recycling at a glance

In our plastics technology, recycled granulates are also used to produce fasteners; in metal production, the proportion of recycled brass fasteners is around 75%. 

The proportion of recycled steel scrap in our trade goods made from various steels is around 40%.

Water

The relevance of water management is increasing, even in our latitudes. Due to climate change, dry and hot summers are no longer an exception. As a result, water is becoming increasingly scarce in many countries - with phases of better and worse availability throughout the year. This results in growing demands on water management. 

Although water as a resource is not used intensively in our business model, we are addressing the issue. This is already being done at the first locations where treatment makes sense. 

In future, we want to take a closer look at the topic of water management at company level and back it up with overarching targets and measures. The first step is to make water withdrawals at our sites around the world transparent. 

*Evaluation using Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas, classification "Extremely High"

In addition to steel and non-ferrous metals, we also use a variety of different plastics to manufacture our own fasteners. The unavoidable metal and plastic waste from sprues, missing parts and other rejects generated during production is a valuable resource. The recycling of these materials is our top priority and is part of our comprehensive waste concept. This concept enables us to collect all metal and plastic waste from production by type and then recycle it.

In this way, we aim to achieve a recycling rate of 100% for these recyclable materials. For example, some of the recovered raw materials are ground up directly on site and fed back into production as regranulate.

Just as we live sustainability within the company ourselves, we also expect our suppliers to act responsibly. To ensure a sustainable supply chain, we therefore work closely and in partnership with all suppliers. On the one hand, we look at how our partners implement sustainability in their own company, for example with regard to energy and emissions. On the other hand, we also look at how they fulfil their corporate social responsibility.

Due to our business distribution, the core areas in our procurement process are Germany, Europe and Turkey. Smaller quantities are also sourced from East Asia. In countries where there is an increased risk of human rights violations, suppliers are monitored very closely: through on-site visits and numerous audits. Böllhoff does not tolerate any kind of violation of human rights by suppliers and will block the supplier.

Our Code of Conduct is an important tool for ensuring a sustainable supply chain. It is part of the general terms and conditions of purchase and contains important topics relating to corporate social responsibility.

Procurement: global or local

In principle, we are interested in global competition. However, for ecological reasons, we attach particular importance to procuring materials locally whenever this is possible and makes economic sense. This prevents long transport routes that are associated with additional emissions.

In today's globalised world, we understand local procurement to mean that goods or services are procured at a national level - i.e. they do not have to cross national borders on their way to the respective Böllhoff site.

The following table shows the percentage of the procurement budget that is spent on suppliers located close to the respective Böllhoff site: