A message (not just) to the younger generation

The pace of global change is increasing every single day. At the same time, the public has become extremely sensitive to issues of sustainability. REHAU has been reporting on its sustainability-related activities in a transparent way for years now. It’s our view that we are increasingly facing urgent global challenges, such as pollution of the oceans and dwindling resources.

We believe that REHAU, with its tradition as a responsible family business and its innovative products and future-oriented investments, has already essentially fulfilled the requirements for doing business sustainably for many years. Examples of how we have achieved this include our window profiles made from old windows or investment in our own wind turbines and disposal company.

Using raw materials sparingly and efficiently has also always been in the DNA of REHAU. Both help limit consumption of energy and resources significantly. We have also used recycled materials for decades now. The proportion of recycled materials in our products is around 50% higher than the global average.

For us, polymers has always been a reusable material. REHAU has returned plastic waste to its production processes since the 1950s. In the 1980s, we produced the first products made from consumers’ plastic waste. In early 2014, we began building our own recycling plants. And we are continuing to invest significantly in this area, like the currently example of our waste management facility in the UK.

By 2022, we want to implement new flagship projects for the circular economy in all divisions and roll them out across the board by 2030. These targets are part of our 2030 sustainability strategy. Another target is to reduce CO₂ emissions in our plants by at least 30% in the next five years. Our long-term aim is for production to be carbon-neutral in all plants, as is currently the case in our Feuchtwangen plant.

Economically speaking, we aim to ensure sustainable growth by continuing to diversify our products and services in various market sectors. Sustainability will continue to be our guiding principle in this regard – in all processes and for all our people.

Different languages and cultures have shaped our company from the very beginning. Diversity is extremely important to us. Encouraging more women to take up managerial positions is particularly important to us. By introducing binding quotas, we hope to drive diversity in this area significantly.

The circular economy, climate-neutral, energy supply, promoting diversity – these are key issues for us on the path towards greater sustainability. We won’t cut any corners – even in those areas where it demands particular effort of us. For REHAU, this is the only way to ensure lasting success – with the knowledge that we are helping to ensure quality of life on the planet for today’s generations and those to come.

The countless conversations we have had with people who are helping us along the way have convinced us that this is the right path.