SuStainability - 2012 - Straumann

operational reviewSustainability 75’Improvements in prOCESS efficiencyresulted in some very significant reductions in the energyrequired for us to produce our products.‘rials, including cobalt chrome and yttrium-stabilizedzirconium oxide, thanks primarily to increased efficienciesin our testing and manufacturing processes. Consumptionof polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), which is used to adddifferent shades to our prosthetic products, increasedsignificantly as we introduced a wider range of colors toour crown and bridge portfolio.OPERATING MATERIALSThe use (and subsequent recycling) of various oils in ourproduction processes decreased significantly thanks to enhancedanalysis techniques, which reduce the frequency ofreplacement. Acids used/recycled stayed relatively constantin 2011, and cleaning solvent consumption decreaseddue to more efficient use of materials and new proceduresfor refilling solvent containers.Despite ongoing efforts to reduce paper consumption, e.g.through paperless workflow processes and double-sidedprinting, paper consumption increased. This was partlydue to documentation requirements related to higher productionvolumes and the fact that an additional facility inEurope was included in the data collection process for thefirst time.ENERGYElectricity consumption increased slightly in absoluteterms in 2011, due to increased production and climaticconditions that resulted in greater need for temperatureregulation (e.g. air conditioning) at some sites. However, primaryenergy consumption (mostly natural gas) decreasedoverall by approximately 10% despite higher productionvolume. This reduction is primarily attributable to warmerweather at some sites and lower heating requirements.To help manage our overall energy usage in 2011, we undertooka series of energy efficiency improvements. For example,at our facility in Andover, we worked with the propertyowners to increase the efficiency of the heating, ventilationand air conditioning systems (HVAC) by replacing themotors in the cooling systems with variable speed drives,and replacing heat exchangers with more efficient models.We expect these improvements to result in significantlylower natural gas consumption in the winter of 2011/12. InVilleret, we also replaced heat exchangers in the HVAC systems,resulting in a reduced energy requirement of 2.4 kWper machine.Improvements in process efficiency also resulted in somevery significant reductions in production energy. For example,at our Markkleeberg facility, a new double-stackedsintering process for ceramic copings has been developed,which reduces the required sintering time by 50%, thusalso reducing energy requirements by half.GREENHOUSE GASESAs part of our overall environmental management process,we monitor CO 2 emissions due to our electricity consumptionand heating. Business activities with minimal impactor for which meaningful data are not available are not included– e.g. emissions resulting from the transportation ofour products (which are small and light), sales representativetravel, and employee commuting. In our reportingwe differentiate between direct (Scope 1) emissions, fromsources such as burning natural gas, and indirect (Scope 2)emissions, from sources such as the use of electricity anddistrict heat. This is the format preferred by many sustainability-consciousinvestors, including those who – likeStraumann – collaborate in the Carbon Disclosure Project.Greenhouse gas emissions in tons of CO 2 equivalents decreasedslightly in absolute terms and by approximately 6%on a per-capita basis, reflecting the increased efficienciesin our various manufacturing and operational processes.WATERWater consumption is another area of focus for improvement.In Markkleeberg, we redesigned the washing process