Sustainability –
more than just a promise for us

Sustainability plays an important role in everything we do. We are committed making us fit for future generations and creating better global living conditions.

Our many facets of sustainability

We combine economic success with a high level of social responsibility. Our values are reflected in many ways: Freudenberg Performance Materials, as part of the Freudenberg Group, has set itself clear environmental goals and aims to become a carbon-neutral company by 2045. 

We also promote diversity in our workforce and stand for a corporate culture in which all employees can contribute their strengths. We also take this responsibility outside the company, in many areas where help is needed. We are clearly guided by the EU's ESG sustainability goals (E= Environmental, S= Social, G= Governance) and the UN's Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs). 

  • Ecological responsibility

    We design our processes and products in such a way that resources are conserved, emissions are reduced, and environmental impacts are minimized along the entire value chain.

  • Social commitment

    As a responsible company, we create safe, fair and diverse working conditions and are committed to education, health and social interaction worldwide.

  • Economic efficiency

    Sustainability is an integral part of our business model – through innovative technologies and efficient processes, we create long-term added value for customers, employees and society.

"Our sustainability strategy 2030 does not only reflect evolving customer expectations and regulatory pressures, but also our commitment to advancing topics such as carbon emission reduction, responsible resource usage, waste reduction and recycling."

Christian Frevel, Global Head of Sustainability

For Download

A clear line for sustainability

Footprint: We continuously optimize our own processes and systems in order to conserve resources and minimize our ecological footprint. 

Handprint: Our products and solutions help customers to make their own manufacturing processes more efficient and environmentally friendly - and thus make a positive contribution to their handprint. 

Heartprint: Our aim is to create a living culture of sustainability that is actively recognized and shaped by all employees. To this end, we are developing processes and standards that systematically promote sustainability and make it an integral part of our daily activities. 

Supply Chain: Supply Chain and Raw Materials forms the basis of our sustainability ambitions. We aim for circularity, nearshoring, optimization of CO2 emission along the upstream supply chain – from sourcing to supplying our markets. carbon footprint reduction on the raw material supplier side along with enhancing the share of recycled and biodegradable materials. 

 

Reducing CO2 emissions – we have a goal!

Freudenberg Performance Materials has a clear goal. We want to be CO₂-neutral by 2045. One key to this lies in the responsible use of raw materials. We already use a high proportion of recycled materials in many of our products. Our strategic orientation is based on the design-for-recycling principle. We consistently develop products made from just one polymer and without chemical binders - in other words, high-tech nonwovens that can be efficiently reused. At the same time, we regard waste from our own processes and those of our customers as a valuable source of raw materials, so that we can return high-performance materials to production in coordinated recycling processes. With our take-back program, we go one step further: together with our customers, we develop solutions - such as mono-material-based shoe components - that can be returned to the production cycle at the end of their life cycle. We are working flat out to make our strategy a reality. The progress is measurable: by 2030, we want to reduce our CO₂ emissions by 45% compared to the base year 2020 - we are currently already at -29%. 

The 5 key principles
of sustainable product development

Durability

Today’s products and future developments must all offer consistent, long-lasting performance with as little wear and tear as possible, because this substantially increases their durability – a key aspect of sustainability. Freudenberg Performance Materials invests in technologies to make pioneering advancements that radically improve products. One example is changing the structure of materials in ways that extend their durability to improve overall sustainability.

Highlights

  • Biodegradable materials

    With comfortemp® TencelTM padding, Freudenberg Performance Materials has developed the first 100% biodegradable padding made from sustainably produced cellulose fibers that completely decomposes in the soil within 57 days - and at the same time meets all the requirements for high-performance thermal insulation for sports and outdoor clothing.

  • Exemplary green roofs

    The green roof of the Javits Center in New York City shows how we contribute to sustainable urban development with Enka® Solutions. With excellent drainage, protection and filtration properties of the entire roof cladding, long-lasting green roofs can improve urban sustainability and provide habitat and resources for urban dwelling fauna. They also improve the urban microclimate by generating evaporative cooling, thereby lowering temperatures both outside and inside the building.

Let's talk about
your sustainable
product

We will work with you to find the right solution for your sustainable product solutions. Our comprehensive standard portfolio is already geared towards this. Let's talk about how we can work together to develop a customized product that is perfectly tailored to the needs of your market.

Our commitment to
global initiatives

Our commitment is strategically defined in our DNA with a clear focus on responsibility for people and society. Freudenberg prioritizes nine of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, which were proclaimed as a global framework in 2016, shortly after the Paris Climate Conference. We are actively committed to these goals and always act in a value-oriented manner. Because values are non-negotiable and it is equally important to communicate our own actions to the public, Freudenberg is also a member of the UN Global Compact.

Achieving sustainability goals –
we are committed in all directions

Efficient processes, sustainable materials and innovative solutions: At Freudenberg Performance Materials, we live sustainability in practice with a consistent objective. We pursue resource-conserving production, use environmentally friendly raw materials, pay attention to their maximum efficiency and energy optimization in order to generate added value for people, the environment and society as a whole – for an optimistic view of the future. 

Join us on our path
to sustainability

Benefit from our expertise and our numerous products and solutions to help you produce more efficiently and sustainably or make your products more resource-efficient.