Environment

Sartorius is a manufacturing company with more than 30 production sites at which we consume energy, release greenhouse gases. Moreover, we use water, particularly in the manufacture of membranes and final assembly of filters.

We are aware of our environmental responsibility and set high standards for protection as a matter of principle.

Energy and CO₂

Significant Reduction of CO₂ Emission Intensity Planned

Measured in CO₂ equivalents, global greenhouse gas emissions amounted to some 50 billion metric tons in 2019. According to statistics provided by the World Health Organization, the health care sector accounted for four to five percent of this figure.

With attributable emissions totaling some 450,000 metric tons of CO₂ equivalents in 2019, Sartorius makes up a share of about 0.025% of total emissions of the global health care sector and therefore only has a minor influence.

Nonetheless, we see it as our duty to contribute to the attainment of climate targets and will make substantial efforts in this regard, both at our sites worldwide and in our value chain. As a high-growth company, we focus on reducing its CO₂ emission intensity, which specifies the output of emissions in proportion to sales revenue.

Sartorius aims to reduce its CO₂ emission intensity by around 10 percent annually on average until 2030.

Scopes 1 and 2

Emissions in Scope 1 are direct emissions. They result, for instance, from the use of fossil fuels to generate heat and power at our sites, from CO₂-equivalent process emissions and from the use of company vehicles. Sartorius aims to virtually eliminate Scope 1 emissions from the use of fossil fuels by 2030.

We plan to virtually eliminate Scope 2 emissions by 2030 and expect to spend around 1% of our annual turnover to achieve this goal.

These indirect emissions occur during the generation of purchased energy, particularly electricity. It is planned to meet this target by switching to emission-free energy from renewable sources wherever possible.

For Scopes 1 and 2, Sartorius aims to achieve an average annual reduction in CO₂ emission intensity or approx. 20% in the period until 2030. This equates to the elimination of some 90% of the emission sources in Scopes 1 and 2 and – despite significant corporate growth – a 50% reduction in associated absolute emissions compared to 2019.

Scope 3

The analysis of Scope 3 emissions is complex and necessitates consideration of numerous interdependencies within the supply chain.

Some 40% of emissions attributable to Sartorius occur in the upstream value chain, i.e. in connection with purchased goods/services and business travel. The largest share of emissions attributable to Sartorius – roughly 50% – occurs in the downstream value chain. This includes, among other things, the transportation of our products to customers as part of the products’ further use and their disposal at the end of their life cycles.

Overall, we aim to reduce Scope 3 emission intensity by ~10% on average per year until 2030.

Water

The company takes great care to reduce water consumption and soil sealing, particularly at manufacturing plants located in baseline water risk areas defined by the Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas, such as Yauco, Puerto Rico; Bangalore, India; and Beijing, China. In Yauco, for example, the company established an additional system for rainwater use. Most of the water is used for rinsing while manufacturing filter membranes according to the precipitation bath method at the Göttingen site.”

Sartorius primarily sources its water from the public water supply, but also uses surface water.

Waste and Wastewater

We strive to reduce waste and use sorting systems to help ensure that reusable materials can be recycled, lowering the proportion of waste stored in landfills. Sartorius applies the international regulations on environmentally compatible design and recycling in force around the world to its own electronic products, such as balances and other laboratory instruments. Organic solvents, which we need for manufacturing membranes used in filter cartridges, are recovered and recycled.

REACH / RoHS / WEEE

Chemicals

European Regulation concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals in Europe – REACH
(EC No. 1907/2006)

The Sartorius Group uses chemical and biological ingredients in manufacturing its products. Our culture media and reagents, for instance, contain biological substances besides chemicals. We monitor the use of hazardous ingredients using the REACH Candidate List (SVHC list, Article 33 of the European REACH Regulation) and comparable substance lists in our other sales regions.

International regulations comparable to REACH
Internationally, there are various legal regulations and requirements that are comparable to the European REACH Regulation. For example, the Sartorius Group complies with such regulations in Canada, China, Taiwan and the USA, to name a few:

Canada: Chemical substances in Batch 12 of the Challenge
China: The New Chemical Substance Notification, which is also called “China REACH Regulation”
Taiwan: Toxic Chemical Substance Control Act (TSCA)
USA: Toxic Chemical Substance Control Act of the Environmental Protection Agency and other regulations, such as California Proposition 65 (CP65), officially known as the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986
European RoHS Directive 2011/65/EU and Delegated Directive 2015/863/EU (implemented by the German Ordinance on the Restriction of the Use of Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment “ElektroStoffV”)

The German Ordinance transposing the requirements of these Directives into national law regulates the use and placement on the market of hazardous substances in electrical equipment and electronic components in Europe.

The electrical equipment manufactured and sold by Sartorius are classified as RoHS equipment categories 6 (electrical and electronic tools) and 9 (monitoring and control instruments including monitoring and control instruments in industry). Sartorius meets the substance restrictions of the European Directive 2011/65/EU as well as the Delegated Directive 2015/863/EU regarding equipment category 6. For equipment category 9, Sartorius will completely implement the requirements of this Directive as of the deadline in July 2021. A RoHS Declaration of Conformity is included in the CE Declaration for our equipment.

Waste Disposal

European WEEE Directive 2012/19/EU
(Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment; implemented by the German Act on Placement on the Market, Return and Disposal of Electrical and Electronic Equipment – Electrical and Electronic Equipment Act “Elektrogesetz”)

In Europe, the Sartorius Group is registered according to the WEEE Directive as a product distributor of electrical and electronic equipment. For this purpose and for return of its equipment by customers, Sartorius has joined the European Advanced Recycling Network by contract. Please register the product you wish to return: https://b2btool.earn-service.com/sartorius-parcel/parcelselect