It goes without saying: durable quality products for the bathroom require high-quality raw materials and components. Faucet and shower manufacturer Hansgrohe uses ABS (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer) for around 45 percent of the plastics injection molding at its Offenburg production site. ABS, one of the most widely used engineering plastics, is particularly suitable for electroplating due to its material properties, and it is thus the basis for the production of the noble surfaces of showers and accessories. As part of its sustainability strategy, Hansgrohe is continuously seeking alternative materials for the manufacture of its products that are sustainably produced from recycled or renewable raw materials. With the new ABS Novodur ECO P2MC B50, which was launched by INEOS Styrolution in September 2022, the sanitary manufacturer from the Black Forest can now also produce even more sustainable parts in its plastics injection molding shop.
Seamless Conversion to Bio-attributed1 ABS
From March 2023, Hansgrohe will produce all ABS parts using the new material Novodur ECO P2MC B50, which, according to the manufacturer, has a bio-attributed content of 50 percent compared to conventional ABS and, thus, has a CO2 footprint2 that is up to 71 percent lower. It is not always so easy to replace long-established materials with new, resource-saving materials without great expense and renewed quality testing. For more than two years, Hansgrohe plastics experts and the “Green Company” department have been continuously researching to identify sustainable raw material alternatives for the plastics injection-molded parts that meet Hansgrohe’s strict quality specifications. “Thanks to the unchanged properties of this bio-attributed ABS from INEOS Styrolution compared to the previously used material, we can now switch very quickly, which makes our internal processes easier,” explains Matthias Stunder, Head of Plastics Technology at Hansgrohe. “In this way, we have taken a further step to reduce CO2 emissions.”
Frank Semling, Member of the Executive Board Operations Hansgrohe SE, is also pleased about the progress towards even more sustainable products in the plastics sector: “I would like to thank our supplier INEOS Styrolution and all the Hansgrohe teams involved for making the conversion to this sustainable ABS material Novodur ECO P2MC B50 so quickly and without complications. Hansgrohe is now the first INEOS customer from the sanitary industry to switch to this material. Of course, we hope for many imitators from all industries, because the more manufacturers that switch their plastics production to sustainable raw materials, the better it is for our collective carbon footprint and for achieving the 1.5-degree target of the Paris Agreement.”
More information on INEOS Styrolution at www.ineos-styrolution.com
1) In the course of the mass balance process, renewable and recycled raw materials are used together with fossil raw materials in the production of the basic products. In a certification process, the manufacturer record how much organic feedstock is fed in and later sold proportionately in the end products.
2) Press Information INEOS Styrolution https://www.pressreleasefinder.com/INEOS_Styrolution/INSPR146/en/
About the Hansgrohe Group – Setting the Beat of Water. Since 1901.
With its brands AXOR and hansgrohe, the Hansgrohe Group, based in Schiltach/Southern Germany, enjoys a reputation as a leader in innovation, design and quality within the bath and kitchen industry. Founded in 1901 in the Black Forest, the company gives water form and function with its faucets, showerheads and shower systems. The 120-year history of the company is marked by innovations, such as the first hand-held shower with multiple spray types, the first pull-out kitchen faucet, and the first wall bar to hold a hand-held shower. The company holds more than 18,500 active property rights. The Hansgrohe Group stands for long-lasting quality products and for responsibility towards people and the environment. Sustainable production of resource-conserving products is central to the company’s business activities around the globe. With 34 subsidiaries and 20 sales offices supplying products in 152 countries, the globally active company in the sanitary industry is a reliable partner to its customers in all regions of the world. The Hansgrohe Group, its brands and products have won numerous awards, including more than 700 design prizes since 1974. The products of the Hansgrohe Group are found worldwide: on renowned cruise ships, in luxurious 5-star and boutique hotels, in international metropolitan cities, in extraordinary spas, exclusive bathrooms of lodges and luxury villas, public facilities, as well as in countless private homes. The Group’s high quality standards are ensured by seven wholly-owned production facilities: four in Germany, one each in France, the United States and China. In 2021, the Hansgrohe Group generated a turnover of EUR 1.365 billion. It employs around 5,400 people worldwide, about 60 percent of whom work in Germany.
