Sustainability for a Better Future
The Earth's environment is precious. We would like to raise our end customer awareness about a healthy environment by teaming up with you. As the market leader in coating technology, we are well aware of our global responsibility for the planet. At LEONHARD KURZ we have come to view our main task as protecting the natural balance. Only the equilibrium between mankind and the environment can create a healthy habitat for future generations.
For five decades now we have been working on our sustainability goal: A holistic KURZ lifecycle. Its main focus lies in the sustainable and sparing use of natural resources, as well as delivering top quality and increased efficiency for our customers. After all, the value chain begins with each individual product.
Sustainability Report 2023
Our Path to a Sustainable Future
With our Sustainability Report 2023, LEONHARD KURZ is underlining that responsible corporate governance is one of the most important goals. On more than 100 pages, KURZ shows what matters to the company in the value chain, labor and human rights, and environmental protection, among other areas.
The KURZ motto, ‘Be a green leader,’ is backed by a holistic sustainability strategy. On the one hand, this message has an internal impact and makes clear to employees the importance of responsible business practices for humans and the environment. On the other hand, it is an offer to all KURZ customers - product innovations and the continuous development toward a circular economy also put them in the lead in the long term.
Our Successes in the Area of Sustainability
- Compliance with globally valid requirements in raw material selection
- Environmental management systems ensure transparency and continuous improvements
- PET substrates with recycled content are used
- KURZ decors consist of 30 percent raw materials of organic origin
- RECOSYS® 2.0 makes recycling of production residues more efficient
Would you like to get an overview of our sustainability developments in recent years? Then please find the KURZ Sustainability Report from 2023 here:
Discover the Key Pillars of our Sustainability Commitment
Technology Innovations
Our Transfer Finishes
Resources and Emissions
Environment & Energy
Social Sustainability
Code of Business ConductThe KURZ Sustainability Program - Looking to the Future Right from the Start
As early as the 1970s, LEONHARD KURZ made a clear commitment to sustainability. To this day, we remain true to this commitment and align our corporate policy with an environmentally friendly approach to nature and sustainable work and product concepts. Over the past five years, we have invested heavily in new processes for recycling, exhaust air disposal, energy saving and recuperation, and the alignment of KURZ products to sustainability.
Our Goals
- To achieve CO2 neutrality by 2040
- To further reduce energy consumption in production
- To make our development formulas even more sustainable
- To provide additional funding for our sustainability investments
Sustainability Rating: KURZ with Above Average Results
KURZ was awarded the bronze medal in this year's sustainability rating by the renowned rating agency EcoVadis. In the four areas examined - ‘Environment’, ‘Labor and Human Rights’, ‘Ethics’, and ‘Sustainable Procurement’ - the expert in surface finishing scored highly despite stricter evaluation criteria than in the previous year, placing in the top ten percent in the industry comparison in 2024. The ranking looks at a total of 21 sustainability criteria, including aspects such as the careful use of raw materials, energy consumption, and CO2 emissions. Other factors include the responsible treatment of people and a commitment to greater diversity and inclusion. The implementation of additional environmental measures and the introduction of further guidelines at KURZ were positively highlighted in the assessment.
The award encourages KURZ to continue to pursue its sustainability strategy consistently and to push ahead with innovative solutions on the road to a circular economy. 'Be a green leader' - under this motto, the thin-film specialist is taking responsibility and allowing itself to be measured by its values in concrete action.
The EcoVadis Rating in Brief:
- KURZ among the top 35 percent of all rated companies
- Increase in the result confirms consistent pursuit of the sustainability strategy
- Ten percent improvement in the ‘Sustainable Procurement’ category despite stricter criteria
UN Global Compact
Sustainable Partnership since 2021
Transparency is the main goal of the UN Global Compact. Participating companies must credibly demonstrate their sustainability activities, while good practice examples are intended to promote the industry as a whole. LEONHARD KURZ has been part of the initiative for responsible corporate governance of the UN Global Compact for an inclusive, sustainable global economy since 2021.
In our annual progress report, we disclose our latest developments in the areas of environmental awareness, the development and diffusion of environmentally friendly technologies, and respect for human rights.
With our long-standing ‘green’ efforts, membership of the UNGC is a matter of course for us. However, the progress report not only serves to reflect our own performance, but also offers customers the security of having a committed partner by their side long term. Customers benefit from state-of-the-art technologies and environmentally friendly product cycles along the entire value chain, as evidenced by the current COP.
Environmentally Aware Production for Every Industry
BE A GREEN LEADER
Our Success:
- Lowest CO2 emissions
- Avoidance of hazardous raw materials
- Coating process without wastewater generation
- Dry application process
And:
- 100% renewable electricity at KURZ in Fürth & Sulzbach-Rosenberg
- Continuous expansion of our photovoltaic plants worldwide
- Benefits of green innovation
- REACH Certification since 2006
Global Partnerships for Sustainable Development
Unfortunately, it takes more than a lone pioneer to get customers to rethink their green priorities. That's why we rely on the power of the collective, and cooperate with an international network of professional bodies and industry initiatives for a mutual, sustainable future. This bundled know-how from different branches of industry allows us to cultivate a far-reaching understanding of customer issues, while presenting them with global solutions.
Fachverband Faltschachtel-Industrie e.V.
Who is FFI?
Cepi 4evergreen
Who is 4evergreen?