Environmental commitment

Today, process-integrated environmental protection, environmentally friendly products and environment-related research projects are the main focus of the ecological commitment of Villeroy & Boch. A central environment management in Mettlach, Germany, controls all processes of the 24 factories relevant to environment and analyses the corresponding data in a quantitative way. The emphasis is laid on the improvement of the energy and raw material efficiency, the resource protection by improving the production process, above all, the reduction of the wastewater load and the emission of CO2 in all steps of the process.

Moreover, every single worker plays a role. This is why the group promotes self-responsibility and commitment to the aspects of environmental protection in his/her field of activity and beyond.

In the field of sewage treatment facilities at the factory in Mettlach, Germany, the company has managed in 2007 to reduce the wastewater amount into the river Saar from 407,000 m³ to 230,000 m³ by means of a state-of-the-art environmental technology – without reducing the production output. Also by implementing a state-of-the-art environmental technology in the production process itself, an efficient recovery of raw materials from the wastewater is possible. This is the case in Mettlach, for example, where the latest microfiltration technology is used to recover non-mixed glaze suspension.

Resource protection and energy efficiency or energy saving are of special importance to the consumer. The Swedish factory Vargarda, which is part of the Villeroy & Boch group, for example, designed the fittings series Nautic, with which about 44 % of the energy can be saved every year compared to the production of other fittings. It can be adjusted as to never exceed the limit of temperature desired by the consumer. The aesthetically demanding single-lever mixers Cult and Circle also provide the same water and energy saving effect by using a cartridge.

The reduction of the water consumption in toilets plays a dominant role. Villeroy & Boch is one of the first manufacturers of water-saving 4.5 litres toilets (Aquareduct) and is now setting standards in the field of urinals as well. An innovative “suction formed part” reduces the common flushing amount of 2 to 3 litres to 0.8 litre. And this development is going on.

For almost all ceramic products, a lead-free glaze, which has been a standard at Villeroy & Boch in the sanitary and dish division for years, is a decisive environmental criterion. Already 15 years ago, the company’s researchers succeeded in developing a lead-free alternative for sanitary ceramics on the basis of environmentally friendly of alkali-boron-silicate glazes (ABS), without reducing quality requirements.

In order to develop further environment-related innovations and to implement them in the processes, Villeroy & Boch performs intensive research. A series of research projects has been promoted by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research.