Sustainable packaging for solar panels
A key aspect of the Bosch Home Comfort Group's commitment to sustainability is the development and implementation of sustainable packaging solutions that not only protect the products but also reduce environmental impact. The example of the Wettringen plant shows how these goals have already been successfully implemented. Sustainable packaging design not only reduces packaging waste for consumers but also reduces CO2 consumption during the packaging process at the plant.
Flat-plate collector packaging: efficiency and sustainability go hand in hand
The project to develop new packaging for solar thermal collectors began in 2021. Since then, the packaging concept has been continuously developed and adapted to other products. The aim is to provide the same robust transport protection as previous packaging, but with significantly less impact on the environment.
Replacing the plastic film with cardboard reduces plastic consumption by 30 tons per year and CO2 emissions by 12.4 tons per year. The lower CO2 consumption of the sealing machine saves an additional 16.2 megawatts of process energy. This equates to 7.3 tons less CO2 per year. The new packaging also contains a higher percentage of recycled material and is fully FSC certified. The use of protective cardboard corners instead of plastic for accessories reduces packaging waste and also makes products easier to remove. This means less time spent unpacking and lower disposal costs for consumers.
Sustainable packaging design through consistent substitution of plastics
Another example of sustainable packaging design is the elimination of plastic bags for product documentation. Instead, paper banderoles are used for solar, hydraulic and ventilation documentation. This change will save 10,500 plastic bags per year, equivalent to a reduction of 74 kg of plastic. This measure will serve as a model and will gradually be extended to other product areas, such as the hybrid monoblock last year.
"These examples of sustainable packaging show how we in the Bosch Home Comfort Group are taking concrete steps to reduce our impact on the environment. This is an important contribution to our sustainability goals and underlines our commitment to environmental protection," concludes Simoes.