Huhtamaki Films Is Certified for Environmental Efforts
- Published: August 14, 2014
FORCHHEIM, GERMANY | Huhtamaki Films says its Forchheim site has been certified by TÜV Hessen for its energy management in accordance with DIN EN ISO 50001:2011. The company says its success at maximum production volume with minimum energy input confirms its commitment to sustainability and environmental protection. 
"We have worked on the certification for eighteen months and have put in a huge effort, which is worth it for our company, for our employees, and for the environment," says Gernot Becker, general manager of Huhtamaki Films Forchheim.
The company also reports big plans for the future. The site currently needs as much energy as a small town with about 14,000 residents. Says Becker, "We intend to change that by 2020. We want to reduce the specific energy requirements by ten percent per produced ton. It is an ambitious goal but one we feel we can achieve. With our new energy management, we are dedicating ourselves towards resource-saving, economic, and sustainable production and therefore securing the future of our site."
Huhtamaki Films has invested €130,000 in the past two years to replace 2000 conventional fluorescent tubes with energy-efficient LED lights and is modernizing the air-conditioning in the production halls so the valves automatically regulate the quantity of hot water using the measured outside temperature. This means the system is optimally prepared for any weather conditions and is therefore sustainable: Four million kilowatt hours of natural gas and 800 tons of CO2 are saved in this way, the company says.
Analyzing and optimizing processes from an energy point of view is the task of energy management officer Daniel Hoffmann, a 26-year-old environmental technologist. "Introducing a norm is one thing, but it is more about breathing life into a specification within the company,” says Hoffmann. He says he already has his eye on the next project: The hot waste air from the air compressors should be used for heating in the near future.
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