Challenge

The circular economy is an essential element of the regenerative economy approach. Closing material cycles is necessary for all resources in order to ensure that the required commodities are still available in future. Moreover, the use of recycled materials often results in potential savings, which will become even greater in the future due to legal regulations on the participation in emissions trading.

A total of 16,853 metric tons of waste was generated by our group in 2022. This includes, in particular, wood, metals, electrical appliances, glass, construction waste, chemicals, paper/cardboard/card, organic waste, and residual waste. 67.2 percent was recovered externally and 32.8 percent disposed of externally. 0.8 percent of the total waste volume was hazardous waste.

Compared to the previous year, the volume of waste was reduced by 10.4 percent. The total volume of waste was reduced by 15.0 percent compared to 2020.

Targets and KPIs

Our target is to have developed a management system for reusable materials and integrated it fully into the Group in line with the circular economy principle by 2025. We have therefore analyzed our materials cycles in recent years and are currently identifying data and solutions to improve these cycles. We believe that the following areas are particularly important levers for achieving our goal:

• Further development of our disposal structures and, in the long term, resource management in our supply chains
• Increased reuse of waste within our own production processes
• Change to reusable systems
• More extensive waste separation and recovery

What we achieved in 2022

• Developed a reusable material concept to identify potential for optimization
• Improved data quality and understanding of defined waste KPIs
• Continued lighthouse measures “Fair Recycled Plastic” (processing and recycling of plastic waste) and “Back to the Roots” (recycling of organic waste from the harvesting and processing of coffee)
• Processed organic coffee waste for energy generation and fertilizer production (Melitta South America)
• Collected and recycled aluminum waste in production (Cuki Cofresco)
• Conducted a detailed on-site analysis of waste streams with the aim of reducing waste and increasing waste recyclability (Melitta Professional Coffee Solutions, Melitta North America)
• Introduced improved waste sorting (ACW-Film)
• Optimized disposal routes for organic waste (roasted coffee pellets and raw coffee dust), use of press containers, bulk inliner recycling (Melitta Europe – Coffee Division)

What we are currently working on

• Establishment of a Group-wide platform for developing ideas and exchanging best practices on the topic of “reusable material and circular economy”
• Continuation of the lighthouse measures “Fair Recycled Plastic” and “Back to the Roots”
• Conducting a detailed on-site analysis of waste streams with the aim of reducing waste and increasing waste recyclability (Melitta Europe – Coffee Preparation Division)
• Conversion of the current waste collection concept and implementation of a waste training campaign (Melitta Professional Coffee Solutions)