How sustainable are motion plastics?

Plastic is a much-discussed material. We know that high-performance polymers can make a contribution to the protection of resources and to the environment, and have made this the focus of our corporate activities.

We look at plastics in three phases: during their production, in use and at the end of the product's life. On this page, we show you our answers to the question of sustainability, both in terms of our products and in everyday life at igus. Not everything has been answered yet, and for some things, especially with regard to sustainable production, we are still working on answers and solutions.

Before: plastics and part production
During: plastics in use
After: plastics after use

Still to be solved:

Emissions of gases and chemicals from the production of raw materials
Abrasion during use
Dependence on the fossil raw material oil

Goals:

By 2025, we want our buildings and production to be CO2-neutral.

All facts and initiatives at a glance (PDF)

Sustainable innovations in 2023

3D print filament on sustainable cardboard spool

After the changeover of the iglidur tribofilament i150, the tribofilaments iglidur i151, i180 and i180-BL are now also available on a 750g cardboard spool. Cardboard filament spools have a 50% lower CO₂ footprint than conventional polypropylene spools and are much easier for users to recycle.

To the 3D printing filaments

Plain bearings made from 94% renewable raw materials

94% of the new iglidur N94 plain-bearing material is renewable. The material also offers the classic iglidur advantages. It has been optimised for lubrication-free dry operation and allows for precise calculation of service life in plain-bearing applications.

More about the plain bearing N94

PRT slewing ring bearing with regranulate content of at least 97%

In our slewing ring bearing iglidur PRT-02-30-ECO, we use regranulate from our own production. The material combination selected here, iglidur P4 and iglidur M260, work very well together and produce a long service life.

More about the slewing ring bearing made from regranulate

drylin R on wooden shafts - study

We have carried out tests on the coefficient of friction and the wear rate of our materials on wooden shafts. Plain bearings and liners made from the materials iglidur® J and J4 were tested on various wooden shafts and compared with metal shafts. In short: drylin linear technology works with wood.

More about the drylin study and wooden shafts

Ball bearings made of regranulate

Our new material xirodur ECO B180 consists of raw materials that have already been used, such as sprue from injection-moulding production, and is processed back into plastic granulate in an in-house process. Finally, production via injection moulding results in an ECO all-rounder in green with recycled inner and outer rings made of dyed xirodur B180 and a cage made from recycled iglidur material.

More about the xiros ECO ball bearing

Before: Production of plastics and parts

Energy balance

The production of 1 m³ of plastic requires around 50% less energy than that of 1 m³ of steel or aluminium.

Oil consumption

The production of high-performance plastics accounts for just 0.5% of global oil consumption.

Power consumption

All of the electricity we purchase is green, and we are reducing the amount of power our machinery and equipment consume. We are acquiring injection moulding machines that are 40% more energy efficient and replacing old ones. We reduced power consumption by 11% in 2021 even as we increased production hours.

99% recycled

99% of our rejects in injection-moulding production (sprues, defective parts) are recycled and returned to the manufacturing process.

clean igus programme

Mechanical measures such as magnetic foils and guide plates prevent parts from falling out of the machines in the production process and becoming waste. We reduced our waste ratio (production waste + processed material) by 21% in 2021 thanks to these and other measures.

More about the programme

Environmental and climate certification

ISO 14001 environmental management standard

In order to make our environmental policy transparent and comprehensible, we have been certified according to ISO standard 14001 since 2019, an internationally recognised basis for environmental management systems. This helps us on our way towards a CO2-neutral factory.

ISO 50001 lettering in front of igus factory with footprint

Energy management standard ISO 50001:2018

Our energy management system is certified according to international standards. The main goal of the ISO 50001 standard is to help companies improve their energy-related performance by setting up systems and processes.

During: Plastics in use

Lubrication-free

27 million tonnes of grease pollute the worldwide environment every year. Our polymers do not require lubrication.

50% of all lubricants sold worldwide end up in the environment. (Source: M. P. Schneider, 2006)

1 litre of oil contaminates 1,000,000 litres of drinking water. (Source: Saskatchewan Association for Resource Recovery Corp., 2008)

1/3 of the total fuel consumption of a passenger car is used to overcome friction in the engine, gearbox, tyres and brakes. (Source: K. Holmberg, P. Andersson, A. Erdemir, 2012)

Global demand for lubricants will increase by 2 % annually, according to forecasts = 45.4 million tonnes in 2019. (Source: The Freedonia Group, 2015)

Service life

Our polymers are optimised for wear. They do not corrode and do not get dirty from grease and dirt. They last longer and don't have to be replaced often. Thanks to our numerous tests in the test laboratory, we can calculate their service life exactly.

Lightweight

Plastic is lighter than steel and saves weight and therefore energy, which has to be applied for the movement. In an aeroplane, this amounts to roughly 4kg if iglidur plain bearings are used instead of metal-rolled bearings. This again positively impacts kerosene consumption.

Comparison iglidur vs. metal composite bearing

Energy saving

Our polymers are tribologically optimised and have low friction. Together with the lower weight, this ensures that less drive energy has to be used to move a machine part in an application.

How does self-lubrication work?

Predictive maintenance

Components are not replaced until they have reached the end of their product life cycle - this is the idea behind our smart plastics product range. Sensors indicate wear and parts are replaced when really necessary; resources are used carefully and rationally.

These are typical features of smart plastics

Replaceable parts

Not having to replace the entire application when wear occurs was one of the leading ideas when we developed our exchange bearings for linear guides. The rail is not damaged and the bearing housing can be reused. This conserves resources - and simultaneously results in lower costs.

This is how exchange bearings work

Biopolymers

With iglidur N54, we have developed a standard plain bearing that can be used universally and consists to 54% of renewable raw materials. The biopolymer bearing demonstrates that components can be sustainable, and motivates us in our future product development.

iglidur plain bearings N54

After: Plastics after their use

Chainge recycling platform

We recycle technical plastics - both from igus products and from other manufacturers. We send the material to our production or recycling partners, and you will receive a voucher per kilo. As of 6/2023 we have already been able to recycle over 80,000kg of material. Our unique platform was awarded the Rhineland Business Prize in the "Sustainability" category in September 2022 and won the Cologne Chamber of Industry and Commerce's "Going Circular" recycling competition in May 2023. Join us and become a Chainger!

Find out more about chainge

HydroPRS recycling

We have invested five million euros in Mura Technologie, a company that uses a new technology, HydroPRS (Hydro Plastic Recycling Solution), to convert unsorted plastic waste to crude oil within 20 minutes. Conserves resources with pressure, temperature, and water. Construction of the first large-scale plant started in April 2021, and more and more companies are cooperating with Mura Technology.

Find out more about HydroPRS

Resource conservation projects and initiatives

Our heating concept with waste heat from production

Heating with gas, is that necessary? A lot of heat is generated in the production process, so you have to be able to do something with it? How do we manage to use the waste heat? That's what a team of igus engineers asked themselves and started trying it out. The result: the concept for a heater that uses the waste heat from machines. The plan: to no longer heat any buildings at the company's Cologne site with gas and to make the concept freely available to engineers and mechanical engineers, i.e. to industry. We call it MHRS - Machine Heat Recovery System.

Go to the heating concept information page

Plastic waste in a collection device in the river and cleaned

Left: rubbish washed ashore in the devices; right: after collection

Plastic Fischer - against plastic waste in rivers

8 to 12 million tons of plastic end up in the oceans every year, mostly via rivers. Plastic Fischer starts right here and collects the rubbish in the rivers, which is more cost-effective than fishing in the sea. How does the project work? Local people use special devices to fish the rubbish out of rivers and receive a regular income in return. The collected plastic waste, which is mostly classified as non-recyclable, is forwarded to thermal treatment plants: it is incinerated with energy recovery. igus finances the collection of a total of 10,000kg of plastic waste. For the duration of the collection, at least 34 people in Kanpur and Mangalore (India) could be given a regular income, and on some days more people are employed.

Rhine Octopus ("Rheinkrake") - igus supports floating waste trap

Every day, a ton of waste floats down the Rhine into the North Sea. That is an enormous amount. For years, K.R.A.K.E. ("Krake" is the German word for octopus), a Cologne-based association, has been combatting rubbish in and on the Rhine. The association took a big step forward in September 2022 with a floating waste trap. Waste floating on the surface drifts into the London-style passive trap. Association members regularly empty the trap and record the waste on land, scientifically evaluating it in cooperation with the University of Bonn. The hope is for this to give rise to a long-term study on plastic waste on the Rhine. We are delighted to be a sponsor of this courageous project, wish it every success, and thank those involved for their commitment.

Learn more about the project and the K.R.A.K.E. association (German website)

Tree planting

It started as a Christmas gift for customers and now there are several campaigns, not only in Germany, but also in Turkey, Mexico and India. From saplings to large urban trees, we plant and care for trees and bushes in small and large campaigns. By creating large areas with new trees, we hope to help mitigate CO₂ load in the atmosphere.

Go to our tree plantations

Combating pollutant emissions in container ports with shore power

Running diesel generators of container ships in port are a serious problem. They release fine dust, nitrogen and sulphur oxides as well as CO₂ emissions into the environment and atmosphere by the tons. In 2022, we created iMSPO, a mobile socket that allowed container ships to be supplied with shore power easily, quickly and, above all, in a flexible way. If it is also "green", the path to the "zero-emission port" is clear.

More about shore power supply for container ships

Second life for PC & Co.

What does igus do with electrical appliances after their service life has run out? Until recently, it went straight to disposal, and in large quantities: up to 5 tons of electronic waste were generated annually. That is now a thing of the past. The working group reguse, an association of igus trainees, rescues from electronic waste what can still be used, e.g. laptops, PCs and monitors. It reprocesses the old devices, offers them to igus employees for little money or donates them, for e. g., to schools and associations. Proceeds go towards sustainable projects.

Find out more about reguse

Recycling meets mobility - the igus:bike project

A bike that does not rust. No maintenance, no lubrication. Together with strong partners, we are building the urban bike of tomorrow: robust, durable and made of more than 90% plastic - from the frame to the bearings and the toothed belt. A high proportion of the required raw materials can be covered by recycling plastic waste. Want to find out more?

Learn more now on igus.bike

3D printed parts and a steering wheel of a classic car

3D printing replacement parts for everyone

Produce replacement parts made of wear-resistant iglidur tribopolymers yourself - this possibility is now also available to private individuals. In the context of the project "3D printing replacement parts for everyone", we support repair cafés, open workshops and FabLabs with filament donations. They can obtain up to two rolls of filament per enquiry completely free of charge. More information about the project, which we are initially offering in German-speaking countries, is available on our information page.

Request free 3D printing filament

Resource-saving measures around the world

igus Italy

Renewable energies, photovoltaic panels and hybrid vehicles

Our Italian subsidiary has placed great emphasis on the transition to a more sustainable energy supply in recent years. In addition to the purchase of 100% certified renewable energy, photovoltaic panels were installed on the roof of the Robbiate building, making igus Italy independent of traditional energy sources. In addition, hybrid vehicles are now the new standard for company vehicles.

igus® Denmark

Geothermal energy and use of rainwater

The company building in Denmark is heated by heating pumps supplied with heat from the company's own geothermal system. The system has a buffer tank that absorbs the excess heat from the cooling process in summer to heat the building in winter. The electricity used to operate the pumps comes from 100% green electricity and is generated from the energy of wind turbines. In addition, rainwater is collected from the roof of the building, passed through a purification process on the outside steps of the building and channelled to the watercourse along Lysholt Allé.

E-cars and charging stations with solar power

igus® Austria

E-cars powered by solar power

Our branch in Austria is now using e-cars. As of October 2022, five electric cars are already in the company fleet, and another five have been ordered. A sustainable plus point: three of the staff vehicles run on solar power. This is made possible by photovoltaic systems installed on the roofs of carports and houses. This solution is not only sustainable but also stress-free, because the cars are charged outside your own front door and are guaranteed to be fit for the day in the morning.

igus Singapore & Malaysia

Efficient energy management in offices and assembly departments

Our colleagues in Singapore and Malaysia have implemented several measures to reduce energy consumption in offices and assembly departments:

Replacing 234 light bulbs with LEDs
Regrouping of light switches for zone lighting
No unnecessary standby operation of unused devices and machines
Air conditioning timer: no operation after office hours
LED table lamps for desks to avoid unnecessary lighting of entire office when only one person is present

igus Germany

Re-cooling system for the extruder saves 60% water

Extruders for bar stock production require cooling to work flawlessly. For this purpose, cold water runs through the machine. It heats up in the process, and until recently, it was discharged into the sewage system. This has changed with the re-cooling system: after passing through the machine, the water is cooled down in a cooling tower, stored and can be used again to cool the machine. We also use such re-cooling systems for our injection-moulding machines.

igus® Spain

Solar panels on office building

29 solar panels have been installed on the roof of the office building of the igus branch in Spain since 2021. The electricity they generate covers one-third of the entire power requirement.

Update on the path to climate neutrality

In 2021, we achieved 31.2% less CO2 emissions than in 2020. This figure relates to Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions. The switch to green electricity in mid-2021 and to climate-neutral gas in October 2021 will play a key role here.

What is scope? Go to the article in the igus blog

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