Packaging

Energy-saving certification for GIZEH

Thursday 27. September 2012 - Plastic packaging specialist GIZEH is one of the industry's first manufacturers to obtain DIN EN 16001 energy management system certification. GIZEH wants to use this to reduce its energy consumption significantly by 2015. This certification forms part of a company-wide sustainability initiative.

“The introduction and certification of our energy management system will strengthen our environmental performance while also making us fitter for the future,” GIZEH Managing Director Ralf Jung emphasised. “Particularly in energy-intensive sectors such as the production of plastic packaging, companies can gain a distinct competitive advantage by using resources economically.” Energy costs are one of the largest cost elements in the manufacturing process, accounting for 7.5 per cent of total costs.
The energy management system is based on a network of over 100 measuring points that monitor the entire production process at GIZEH’s two German sites in Bergneustadt and Elsterwerda. All the relevant data, for instance for compressed air, refrigeration or machine consumption, is recorded in real time and stored in databases.
On this basis, GIZEH has examined all its production processes and made targeted improvements. Where necessary, existing machines have been replaced with more modern and energy-efficient models. But substantial savings have also been achieved by making specific modifications to existing machines. “Improved insulation of our thermoforming, injection moulding and PET units alone has reduced their energy consumption by approximately 25 per cent,” says Bernd Budde, Energy Manager at GIZEH. Intelligent use of the heat that is generated during production is another key energy-saving measure.
The introduction of the energy management system forms part of a company-wide programme aimed at further strengthening GIZEH’s commitment to sustainability and responsibility. Last year, for example, GIZEH planted 40 hectares of woodland in Bergneustadt and installed an 80 kWp photovoltaic system at its Elsterwerda facility. Furthermore, the GIZEH engineers are currently working on the development of biodegradable packaging materials, so-called bioplastics.