Taking responsibility for a future worth living has always been in the DNA of this family business. Specifically, this means focusing the company’s actions on people and nature, rather than just the next quarterly results. Sustainable action, as STABILO understands the term, has been integral to its operations from the very beginning. The writing instrument manufacturer has been a pioneer in many areas, such as the use of renewable energies or certified wood. In 2020, however, it set itself the target of reducing CO2 emissions as much as possible and launched the sustainability initiative Together to help it get there.
Understanding and learning
This raised key questions that the company could not answer on its own. Where do most emissions occur? How can these be reduced and what are the greatest levers for achieving this? In order to understand this, STABILO began looking for a partner who could support the company along the way. One that would provide advice, but also critically scrutinise and challenge it. It found this partner in myclimate. For the 2019/20 financial year, STABILO and myclimate developed the first adjusted corporate carbon footprint (CCF) for the three production sites in Germany, the Czech Republic and Malaysia, as well as the headquarters in Heroldsberg. This has been recalculated annually since then.
For Michael Hipp, Team Leader Corporate Partnerships at myclimate, this continuity is worth highlighting:
Climate protection depends on long-term commitment, particularly in the consistent reduction and avoidance of emissions. The fact that STABILO is serious about this was clear from the very beginning. That’s what makes this collaboration so special for me.
Data collection at STABILO steadily improved, especially in the first three analysis periods, so that the carbon footprint became more and more detailed. As a result, the first successes were not immediately apparent in the figures. Nevertheless, STABILO was confident it had chosen the right path and continued to follow it rigorously.
As a family business, we have a special responsibility for future generations,
explains STABILO CEO Horst Brinkmann.
We firmly believe that every sustainable decision makes a difference and we work tirelessly to reduce our emissions as much as possible.
Setting and pursuing goals
The first CCF analysis identified the areas of energy, materials and packaging as the biggest drivers of emissions. On the basis of this, STABILO developed an action plan that was not limited to these areas, but focused on them as providing the greatest leverage. This made it possible to implement many small and large projects that continue to make a contribution to reducing CO2 emissions to this day.
Although the company headquarters and the largest production site in Weissenburg, Bavaria, were already sourcing 100 % of their electricity from renewable sources even before the first footprint calculation, the conversion of the two other locations reduced energy-related CO2 emissions by 91 % (2020/21 vs. 2023/24). In addition, the headquarters and all plants have solar panels that can cover part of the energy demand.
Investment in sustainable packaging
Significant successes have also already been achieved in the area of packaging. In addition to reducing emissions, e.g. by using recycled plastic instead of fossil-based plastic, STABILO tries to keep an eye on the issue of recyclability. Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) calculations for different packaging units helped in decision making and setting the course. In recent years, for example, investments have been made in new packaging systems and well over 120 packaging units have been converted.
New and existing products put to the test
Individual PCFs also played an important role in the two largest product-related projects. The starting point for STABILO's Grow project to develop a sustainable ballpoint pen was to add a new product to the portfolio that generates significantly less CO2 emissions than a comparable existing product – without compromising on functionality or design.
To this end, STABILO and myclimate examined optimisation approaches such as material reduction and substitution, recyclability of materials, use of green electricity in production and use of secondary materials, and tested them in terms of quality, processability and CO2 impact. In the end, a combination of three main materials was chosen for the Grow pen: a bio-plastic made from tall oil and cellulose (waste materials from paper production), a plastic composite with admixture of sunflower seed hulls and FSC-certified wood. This reduced materials-related emissions by around 70 %, compared to a product made of petroleum-based plastic.
But in order to significantly reduce emissions in the area of materials, STABILO also needs to work on high-volume existing products. A challenge that also requires entrepreneurial courage. As the first major project, the STABILO point 88 and Pen 68 product families were optimised and converted to certified bio-plastics. The new material saves about 2 kg of CO2 per kilogram compared to the original material. The total saving across all converted products is around 850 tonnes of CO2 per year.
Successful collaboration
The strategic interaction of CCFs, PCFs, common objectives and courageous innovations has paid off, and STABILO is pleased with the partnership with myclimate and the interim results achieved. The sustainability strategy was recently updated and new targets were set for 2030. Reducing emissions will continue to be the focus of the company's efforts, with the aim of halving emissions by 2029/30, compared to the 2021/22 period.
