The key objective of ecological efforts at Wilkhahn is to contribute to the long-term preservation of ecological balance as the basis of a liveable future and meaningful economic growth. These objectives are laid down in plant agreements on environmental protection.

Management systems

For Wilkhahn, environmental management, quality management and occupational safety are inextricably linked. That is why we have an integrated management system: all Wilkhahn sites work according to a uniform environmental management system that is validated at the Bad Münder site (Germany) in accordance with EMAS and certified in accordance with ISO 14001. Wilkhahn supports corresponding certification on the part of its suppliers. Wilkhahn’s main production site as well as all European sales offices are certified in accordance with the quality management standard of ISO 9001. When selecting suppliers, Wilkhahn assigns considerable value to their using a comprehensive and functioning quality management system.

Production sites

Wilkhahn ranges are produced or assembled in Bad Münder (Germany), Castellon (Spain) and Sydney (Australia).

Water protection, waste management and energy

Water is becoming an increasingly important resource. Wilkhahn spares no effort to minimize water consumption in production and to ensure that water quality is not impaired. Due to the treatment of process water, the quantities of waste water requiring special supervision has been reduced by 80 per cent. The Wilkhahn waste management concept embraces sorting waste according to one-type materials, recycling and disposal of all fractions of waste resulting from production and administration. The newly erected co-generator for combining power and heat at the Bad Münder site is powered by renewable raw materials and from 2008 onwards it will ensure virtually CO2 neutral production.

Return of used products and re-use

Our responsibility does not stop at the end of the utilization phase of a product as we offer our customers extensive services for taking back and recycling used products. We guarantee that used products may be returned in their entirety. The chairs are dismounted at our plant, all components are sorted according to one-type materials and − if possible − are recycled. Due to the clear marking and identification of all materials, due to their nontoxicity and due to easy dismountability, we can today ensure that the components of a Wilkhahn product are returned to both decentral and local material and production cycles and are properly recycled and, if necessary, disposed of. This serves to reduce energy-intensive (and thus ecologically questionable) return transport over long distances.

Disassembly and recycling

All components used by Wilkhahn permit more or less non-destructive disassembly. All components weighing more than 150 g bear a material identification mark to ensure that materials can be sorted according to a single type. No material protecting agents or halogen-organic combinations are used that prevent subsequent recycling. This allows a large proportion to be recycled.

Returnable transport packaging

For Wilkhahn ranges, returnable transport packaging made from renewable raw materials is mainly used that can be reused, recycled or composted.

Environmental training and communication

“We promote the environmental awareness of our employees in both work and private contexts. We continuously improve the skills of our employees by providing information, training and involvement in ongoing environmental projects.”

We regularly carry out internal audits for the purpose of checking and steering adherence to our environmental goals. The subject of environmental responsibility is also an integral part of the Wilkhahn-Aktuell, the German employees’ magazine. We publish our knowledge, drawn from 20 years of protection of the environment and resources, in the form of numerous publications, on an international level too, and of lectures, for example, at universities.