Swiss company Gallus is aiming for carbon neutrality by the end of the year. The manufacturer of printing machines for the label and packaging industry will thus become "one of the first manufacturers of narrow web presses to take this important step" he says.
To achieve this goal, Gallus, which operates production facilities in Switzerland and Germany, is reducing its carbon emissions, has obtained ISO 14001 certification, the international standard for environmental management systems, and has also partnered with a German climate solutions company, Forliance, to offset the remaining emissions from its production process.
The 300-person company also benefited from the experience of its parent company, the German manufacturer Heidelberg. "Over the past ten months, we have been working in accordance with Heidelberg's environmental program, explains Dario Urbinati, Director of Sales and Services at Gallus. This company-wide program has allowed us to make informed decisions about the management of resources, facilities and the way we design and manufacture our presses. But we need to do more. We are only at the beginning of the journey, but ensuring our products are carbon neutral will be an important step in demonstrating our ambitions."
To carry out this project, the first objective is to calculate the carbon emissions emitted during each step of the production process of the printing machines, from their design to the selection of materials, through their energy consumption and packaging. Then, these CO2 emissions will be compensated through different actions that reduce CO2 in the atmosphere, such as reforestation.
At the same time, a team is managing the company's decarbonization by optimizing energy consumption and increasing the share of renewable energy.
Frank Schaum, CEO of the group that will celebrate its 100th anniversary next year, states: "As we move forward into this new phase, our goal is to do everything we can to build a more positive and sustainable future for the printing and packaging market. The approach of the company's centennial year has provided us with the perfect opportunity to re-evaluate our processes and realign our priorities so that we now make conscious and determined progress toward achieving this vision."
