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Sticking together for sustainability
No-one ever said manufacturing is simple, though in principle it’s straightforward. Make things safely and efficiently, without incurring excess costs, and make them reliable so your customers are happy. But now there’s another factor in the manufacturing Best Practice equation: sustainability. Keeping all these balls in the air demands more than one pair of hands. That’s why LOCTITE® relies on ERIKS and our customers rely on us both.
By working together, LOCTITE® and ERIKS are able to deliver the most appropriate, most sustainable solutions for customers, in the most efficient and cost-effective way. Everything LOCTITE® does is underpinned by the three pillars defined by Henkel (our parent company) in their global Sustainability Ambition 2030:
- Lead by example (optimising our own carbon footprint in operations, and sourcing low emission raw material)
- Lead through technology (create a positive impact with a diverse product portfolio)
- Transparency (be open about what we are doing, and why)
To make our sustainability efforts effective we are focussing on four key areas: climate, circularity, safety and nature.
Specifically, that means:
- Climate: Enabling emission reduction in customers’ production processes, and in the product use phase. Enabling lower Scope 3 emissions for customers by using low-emission raw materials.
- Circularity: Using circular raw materials. Keeping valuable materials in the loop by contributing to reuse, repair, and recycling of products and their components.
- Safety: Advancing chemical safety of solutions. Facilitating safety of end products in the use phase, and in customer’s production processes.
- Nature: Enabling preservation and protection of environmental resources such as water.
Independent evidence of our commitment is our platinum score with Ecovadis – the industry’s most renowned rating system for assessing sustainability performance. Adherence to Ecovadis is audited annually by external stakeholders, so it demonstrates our continuing progress in environmentally and socially responsible business practices.
Leading through technology
For our customers, the most tangible proof of sustainability in practice is how we lead through technology. The products below, all available from our partner ERIKS, are powerful examples of LOCTITE solutions which combine reliability and sustainability.
LOCTITE Threadlockers
By preventing the loosening of nuts and bolts, Threadlockers make machinery safer and extend its useful life – making them inherently sustainable. In certain applications they can also reduce or eliminate the consumption of resources.
For example, loose bolts which cause vibration can lead to reduced efficiency, increased energy use, and machinery breakdown. All these outcomes create an unwanted and unnecessary carbon footprint through increased maintenance, re-work and spares requirement, yet can be prevented with Threadlockers.
LOCTITE Instant Adhesives
As part of sustainable product development, LOCTITE is committed to removing potentially harmful materials. That’s why LOCTITE Instant Adhesives are now free from Hydroquinone.
Although present in only very small amounts in the original formulations, LOCTITE’s leadership in sustainability led to the chemical’s swift removal in response to changing regulatory requirements and industry demand. A novel stabiliser package has enabled six of the most widely used products in the LOCTITE Instant Adhesive range to become Hydroquinone-free.
More product reformulations are planned for the near future.
LOCTITE Health & Safety Products
Achieving the highest health and safety standards is made easier with LOCTITE H&S products – including LOCTITE 2400 & 2700. These use patented technology formulated to eliminate hazardous substances. Classified as non-hazardous, they don’t need to carry hazard warnings under CLP regulations, and don’t trigger a COSH assessment. Meanwhile, fast cure speeds and impressive strength save time and effort on manufacturing as well as on compliance.
The sustainable solution, every time
To help customers understand the environmental impact of the products they choose, LOCTITE classifies them in one of the following categories:
- Pioneer: offering tangible improvements in sustainability compared to average or standard market solutions
- Contributor: delivering a positive sustainability contribution, though not necessarily better than other available products
- Straight performer: contains no harmful substances
- Challenged: may contain substances harmful for health and safety
Naturally, through our partnership with ERIKS, where possible we always recommend solutions in the Pioneer and Contributor categories. So when you speak to your usual ERIKS representative, you can be sure to find LOCTITE products which not only provide the best adhesion for the job, but also help your own sustainability efforts.
For more information, contact your local ERIKS Service Centre, who will be happy to discuss your options.
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