Why green manufacturing is the future

The manufacturing industry makes up an important part of the economy worldwide and therefore also has an impact on its life cycle assessment. It is no secret that extensive raw material extraction, usage of unsustainable energy and generated waste damage our planet. But achieving sustainable manufacturing is not enough anymore to reverse these developments.

This is why we set as our goal to support the push for an eco-friendly circular economy and green manufacturing. With ALFAPURA® your manufacturing becomes greener and your products more in line with a circular economy.

Green manufacturing: What you need to keep in mind

One important criterion to measure the eco-friendliness of a product is the origin and the type of raw materials used. In a utopian and perfect economy, every used raw material would be biodegradable and have time to regrow, which would make it 100% sustainable. If this is not possible (yet) for your product, the raw materials should at least non-toxic. Harmful substances pose a direct danger to humans and nature, but they are also not recyclable.

For example, in paper recycling, the resulting wastewater is considered hazardous waste because it could be toxic due to the ingredients in printing ink, colours, coating, etc. If that were not the case, the water could simply be upcycled and reused.

UPCYCLING VS. RECYCLING

But what is the difference between upcycling and recycling?

Conventional recycling often ends in downcycling because not every ingredient can be reused, meaning that the new product is of lower quality. Upcycling on the other hand means reusing everything and making something at least as good out of the initial product. Upcycling is therefore an important part of a circular economy: In a completely circular economy, no waste is generated, and all the materials are reused again. For example, wood is not burned after its first usage, instead, it is upcycled into a new wooden product. Only if such processes occur, sustainable wood usage is possible, as it takes time for trees to grow back. And as is the case with paper, wood can be upcycled more easily if it is not contaminated with toxic materials.

Apart from the raw materials, their sustainability, and circularity, energy is another crucial factor for green manufacturing. If you manage to obtain the energy for your production from sustainable sources, you have already made a huge step in the right direction. Because so many aspects have an impact on the eco-balance of your product, standardized labels from independent institutions are essential. Only by labelling and therefore validating the sustainability of your products, you can prove their value to your customers.

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    ALFAPURA® and the Cradle-to-Cradle certification®

    This is the path we have chosen: The whole ALFAPURA® line is Cradle to Cradle Certified® by the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute. The Material Health Gold® certification we were awarded by the associated Environmental Protection Encouragement Agency (EPEA) guarantees that all ingredients and the entire manufacturing process are safe for the environment and human health. The product assessment is carried out along the entire value chain, from cradle to cradle. All aspects from product development to product design and disposal are included.

    The Cradle-to-Cradle Certified® program stands for a concept of sustainability that takes social, ecological, and economic perspectives into account. Learn more about how to get cradle-to-cradle certified. One important aspect that enabled ALFAPURA® to fulfil all the required criteria is the water-base of our adhesives. Since the foundation of ALFA Klebstoffe AG by Emil Simmler in 1972, producing eco-friendly adhesives has been our top priority. As a pioneer of water-based adhesives for foam bonding, he would have never made a compromise when it comes to only producing solvent-free glues – and neither do we.

    Because water is inherently sustainable and recyclable, we were already well on our way to receiving the certification. We extensively informed ourselves about the other ingredients in our adhesives and after a first developing phase, we achieved the Material Health Certificate Silver®. Although this was already a success, we optimized our products again and then achieved the Gold certification.

    We now have confirmation from the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute that our ingredients are completely safe for the environment and humans. They do not contain any carcinogens, mutagens or reproductive toxicants. Additionally, no hidden substances such as heavy metals are included.

    Our production and green manufacturing were also tested: The packaging of most of our adhesives is made of recycled cardboard. A solar installation on the roof of ALFA Klebstoffe AG in Rafz covers over 70% of our energy demand. Additionally, our heating energy and hot water are generated by burning CO2-neutral wood chips, another climate-friendly option.

    We support your green manufacturing

    ALFAPURA® enables you to run your manufacturing processes in such a way that they meet the requirements of the Cradle-to-Cradle® concept. With this certification, you increase the economic and ecological potential of your products in a targeted manner. Even if the certification is not your goal, ALFAPURA® is the right choice. Our adhesives offer a strong bond and are easy to use. There is no special equipment needed, you can just swap your current adhesive with ALFAPURA® and continue with your manufacturing process a bit greener than before.

    Our certified ALFAPURA® line already offers high quality solutions for a wide spectrum of applications and we continue to follow new ideas and develop more products continuously. Especially for the packaging and post-print industry as well as for gluing wood, we have several options. Our adhesives are not just sustainable in ecological terms: With ALFAPURA® products, your manufacturing process becomes greener and more efficient at the same time.

    If you have any questions about how you can make your production process greener – with ALFAPURA® as well as with other measures – do not hesitate to contact us. Our experts are happy to talk to you about the application fields of our adhesives and improvements in your process as a whole. Our goal is to leave a positive ecological footprint together with our customers because the ambitious goal of an eco-friendly circular economy cannot be reached by a single company alone.

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