Sustainability
at Boehlerit
On the right path
Sustainability is not just a promise at Boehlerit, but is actively practised and firmly anchored in the corporate culture. In a world facing challenges such as climate change, scarcity of resources and social inequalities, sustainable behaviour is becoming increasingly important. It encompasses not only ecological aspects, but also economic and social dimensions that work together to ensure a future worth living for all. Boehlerit can make a positive contribution to sustainable development by making responsible decisions in everyday life and in business.
Boehlerit is on the right track here:
We are active in environmental protection and occupational safety and are committed to a future that conserves resources. We focus on the development and construction of durable and recyclable quality products, environmentally friendly production processes and minimising the environmental impact of our products.
Our commitment to a sustainable future
Our commitment to a sustainable future is firmly anchored in our corporate philosophy. We are aware of our responsibility towards the environment and society.
That is why we are actively committed to integrating sustainable behaviour into all our business areas. We also optimise our production processes in order to use resources more efficiently and reduce our carbon footprint in the long term. This can be realised step by step through investments in sales, products and production as well as the use of new, innovative technologies. In recent years, for example, Boehlerit has been able to significantly reduce electricity and natural gas consumption through heat recovery and also water consumption through state-of-the-art washing and wet blasting systems.
Recycling
Our offer
Boehlerit enables customers to recycle carbide scrap easily and in an environmentally friendly manner with a new recycling program. The use of recycled material saves resources, lowers energy costs, and reduces air and water pollution.
Climate-friendly and economical thanks to recycling
The world’s known tungsten reserves are limited to around 3.3 million tons, with China accounting for 60% of the largest tungsten deposits. The next largest deposits are in Canada (9%) and Russia (8%), with the rest spread across the globe.
To ensure the long-term availability of tungsten, recycling this heavy metal is essential. Furthermore, various studies have shown that recycling hard metal scrap can significantly reduce the carbon footprint.
Scientific studies from 2016 list tungsten consumption by product category and the use of primary and secondary metal. In 2016, 71,000 tons of tungsten were extracted from ore and an additional 37,000 tons were produced from recycled tungsten. This corresponds to a supply rate of 35% from recovered material. It should be noted that the largest amount of heavy metal recycling takes place in carbide production. Carbide tools have a recycling rate of 55%. With our new recycling program, Boehlerit aims to further increase this rate and promote the use of recovered tungsten.
recycling routes
Current knowledge offers two economically viable options for returning tungsten to the cycle: direct recycling using the zinc process (Zn reclaim) and chemical reprocessing.
Chemical reprocessing can use both soft and hard scrap as feedstock, and does not require the scrap to be classified according to chemical composition or tungsten carbide grain size. This type of processing yields material that is indistinguishable from material produced from primary raw materials. Direct recycling requires the scrap to be sorted within certain limits in terms of scrap size, chemical composition, and tungsten carbide grain size. Nevertheless, the zinc process offers an advantage over the chemical process due to significant energy and cost savings. Examples of scrap that can be sent for direct recycling include milling cutters, drills, indexable inserts, or rods that have been collected separately. Carbide scrap from semi-finished products, such as sintered blocks, is also suitable for processing using the zinc process. To facilitate the separation of this scrap, Boehlerit offers appropriate containers and customized training for your employees.
The Boehlerit recycling program
Boehlerit offers you a comprehensive recycling program:
- Provision of containers
- On-site collection
- Professional recycling of scrap metal
- Training courses on scrap metal separation for your employees
The offer will be made within 48 hours!
Legal information: Please use suitable containers for transport. Boehlerit GmbH & CO KG is also happy to provide certified containers for transporting scrap metal. If you have any questions or require clarification, please contact us at the address below. A qualified member of staff will be happy to help you.
Email: zhartmetallschrott@boehlerit.com
Phone number: +43 3862 300-0
** This includes scrap that has been collected separately based on its chemical composition and, above all, its tungsten carbide grain size. Boehlerit will be happy to answer any questions you may have.
Conflict mineral
Duty of care in procurement is not just a concept for Boehlerit!
Boehlerit is committed to using only sustainable, conflict-free raw materials. This means that we purchase from reputable, certified raw material suppliers. Our suppliers confirm to us at least once a year that their raw materials are 100% conflict-free using the CMRT template. All certified, audited smelters are listed in this report.
Boehlerit buys exclusively from these smelters, also within the Union.
What is meant by conflict commodity
Conflict minerals, conflict resources or, in a special case, conflict commodities, are the terms used by human rights groups to describe mineral resources and other natural resources that are cultivated or extracted in conflict or high-risk areas. In many cases, the production or extraction of these materials takes place illegally and outside state control, for example by rebels or militias.
Systematic violations of human rights and international law are accepted for the extraction of the disputed substances.
Conflict minerals are currently tin (Sn), tantalum (Ta), tungsten (W) and gold (Au) (also known as “3TG”).
Boehlerit is committed to ensuring best practices in safety, health, environment and ethics at all stages of its supply and production chain.
Boehlerit fully supports the activities of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to avoid the use of raw materials that finance armed groups in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) or neighbouring countries.
If you have any questions or suggestions about conflict minerals, please send us a message at
konfliktmineral@boehlerit.com.