KURZ Recognised for Sustainability Progress

KURZ, the market leader in security foils for banknotes, has announced that it has been awarded a silver medal from the well-known sustainability rating agency EcoVadis, having achieved excellent results in all four areas examined – the environment, labour and human rights, ethics and sustainable procurement.

The thin-film and foil specialist is among the top 25% of all companies evaluated – and in an industry comparison, among the top 17%. The evaluation also highlights that the total number of points achieved by KURZ has increased compared to the previous year. The reasons for this are listed as the implementation of additional measures and the introduction of further guidelines.

According to Dr Andreas Hirschfelder, Chairman of the Board, this is clear proof that the company is on the right track. ‘There has been a lot of movement in the field of sustainability in recent years – new insights have been gained, goals have been set, and standards have been developed. This is also reflected in the assessment of the EcoVadis experts, who are constantly adapting their criteria. As a result, the requirements also increase from year to year,’ he said.

‘It makes us all the more proud that we are not only able to keep up here but also keep improving, as our silver medal shows. We scored eight points more than in the previous year. In the ‘Sustainable Procurement’ category, we even recorded an increase of 20%.’

This development, he added, underscores that once again the company is pursuing a consistent sustainability strategy and successfully implementing it.

As part of the EcoVadis ranking, a total of 21 sustainability criteria are examined, which are compiled into the four above-mentioned categories. The assessment is based on high standards and is monitored by an international scientific committee. The overall assessment includes not only aspects such as the raw materials used, energy consumption, and CO2 emissions, but also factors such as the responsible treatment of people, and commitment to greater diversity and inclusion.

Circulate economy as a long-term goal

KURZ’s declared goal is to become the most sustainable company in the plastics industry. Its high-grade finishings are already 100% recyclable, but they are also increasingly made from renewable raw materials.

After commissioning its own recycling plant, KURZ presented the next development of the recycling process used for production residues from the graphics industry in Spring 2023. With its RECOSYS® 2.0 technology, it now offers a take-back and recycling programme whereby transfer carriers can be recycled into recycled PET (rPET for short) for the first time, which in turn can be used to manufacture plastic bottles or packaging.

KURZ has summarised the company’s further successes in sustainability – as well as its own ethical standards in dealing with employees, customers, suppliers, government agencies, and authorities – in its recently published Sustainability Report for 2022, which can be obtained from its website.