The new Sustainability Report 2023
We are passionate about protecting our planet and developing quality cleaning products to do so. Sustainability and quality are part of our vision, and our aim is to combine the two. Really clean for a future worth living. With a focus on recycled materials, the use of clean energy and low-carbon production, we are continuously working to reduce our emissions to zero. Find out how and by when we will achieve this in the report.
Who we are and what is important to us
As a family-run company, Buzil has stood for continuous quality and decades of experience since 1907. Our production takes place 100% in Germany. We develop high-quality cleaning products and services in which effectiveness and sustainability go hand in hand.
Our vision: Really clean for a future worth living
Right symbolises our pursuit of integrity and excellence in everything we do. Clean symbolises our aim to offer effective products and solutions and to protect the health of our customers and the environment. Liveable emphasises our desire to contribute to the quality of life. Looking to the future, Buzil is committed to developing innovative and sustainable solutions.
Around half of our canisters are converted to PCR
We are planning to switch our 5, 10 and 20 litre canisters completely to PCR plastic, provided they do not contain hazardous goods. This means that around half of all canisters will be made from recycled material in future. This step will significantly reduce the need for new crude oil-based plastic. The illustration of the 1-litre bottle also shows other ways in which we are consistently working on our packaging solutions.
We received platinum for the second time in a row
We are proud that our Ecovadis certification also achieved platinum status in 2023. This award confirms our performance in the areas of environment, labour and human rights, ethics and procurement. Only 1% of all companies assessed by Ecovadis have been awarded Platinum. Ecovadis is one of the world's most prestigious sustainability ratings. We are delighted to have been recognised by this independent platform as making a major contribution to global sustainability.
Climate neutrality at the Memmingen site
We are setting an example. Our Scope 1 and 2 emissions were fully offset in 2022 and 2023. Despite increasing production volumes, our emissions have fallen slightly. The Buzil site in Memmingen is now net climate neutral. In 2023, we voluntarily offset 333,00 tonnes of CO2 e by financing myclimate climate protection projects, such as the renaturation of raised bogs in the La Gruère nature reserve. In 2022, the figure was 346.3 tonnes.
Click here to download our certificates
1.9 GWh down, over 41 per cent saved
Our corporate strategy is to completely reduce our CO2 emissions to zero in three steps. We will achieve this by:
1. continuously reducing our own energy requirements
2. further increasing the already high proportion of renewable energies
3. offsetting the remaining CO2 emissions from Scope 1 and Scope 2
In 2023, we reduced our own energy requirements by 1.9 GWh compared to 2020. This means we were able to save over 41% energy with comparable capacity utilisation.
We increased our own production of renewable electricity
We expanded our PV system in 2023. The capacity more than doubled from 218 kW to 261 kW. This significantly increased the amount of PV electricity fed into the grid. With the current electricity mix, the 129 MWh fed into the grid corresponds to a saving of 136 tonnes of CO2 equivalents (CO2 e). This is more than Buzil's Scope 2 emissions, which amounted to 122 tonnes. Scope 2 emissions stand for energy in the form of e.g. electricity, heat or cooling that was generated outside the organisation.
Water is our most important raw material
We use it responsibly and continuously optimise our production processes. This enables us to keep our water consumption as low as possible. We are aware that, according to the Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas, our production in Memmingen is located in an area with a medium-high water stress level (20-40%).
Our goals:
Cooling water should be used in an internal cycle and no longer end up in waste water. The waste water generated during the production of osmosis water is to be utilised as a raw material. Drinking water should no longer be used to rinse the bottling plants and should be replaced by well water wherever possible.
Bavarian Environmental and Climate Pact
By participating, we are reaffirming our commitment to sustainable development and environmental protection. This initiative, which is based on voluntary co-operation between the Bavarian state government and industry, reflects our long-term approach to offering environmentally friendly production methods and products.
Electrifyingly clean: Buzil makes the vehicle fleet green
We use the photovoltaic system to charge the e-cars in our vehicle fleet, among other things. The bosses are setting a good example - their e-cars can already be seen at the company's own charging points. Since 2023, only company vehicles that run on electricity have been purchased.
Buzil keeps a critical eye on its supply chain
We use this approach to rank the countries that play a role in our business activities, particularly for purchasing and sales. 51 countries achieve a score between 51 and 70 and are categorised as critical (yellow). Buzil continues to do business in these countries, but will take a closer look in future. A further 93 countries are marked in red, and 33 countries are not indexed. These will be removed from the supply chain if they have not already been removed.
Our supplier risk matrix
All suppliers of raw materials and supplies are categorised in a risk matrix using a comprehensive questionnaire on topics such as the environment, quality, safety and social issues. The suppliers are categorised on the basis of scores comparable to a traffic light system. Green represents a low risk and red a high risk. The following table shows the number of suppliers per risk category.