A Freudenberg Medical employee inspects a precision injection molded medical component at the company’s Kaiserslautern operation in Germany. [Photo courtesy of Freudenberg Medical]
Freudenberg Medical said it achieved ISO 14001 certification for its 11 locations in the U.S., Costa Rica, Germany, Ireland and China following a final audit at the company’s new headquarters in Beverly, Massachusetts.
ISO 14001 specifies environmental management system requirements to enhance environmental performance, meet compliance obligations and achieve environmental objectives.
Freudenberg Medical said it is working to reduce its environmental impact and achieve carbon neutrality of its manufacturing activities.
“Freudenberg Medical is a leader in sustainable manufacturing for the medical device and pharmaceutical industry. It is our social responsibility to protect the environment and preserve earth’s resources as much as we can,” Freudenberg Medical CEO Max Gisbert Kley said in a news release last week. “Sustainability is an important guiding principle of the Freudenberg Group, one that all our associates work hard to live up to. We are committed to sustainability and have a responsibility to the communities in which we operate. The completion of the global ISO 14001 certification process is a strong testament to that commitment.”
Freudenberg Medical said it has improved its energy efficiency by 10% in one year, reduced total waste by 36% in 2021, and draws more than 50% of indirect energy used by its manufacturing sites from renewable energy sources. The company also said all silicone and plastic material that remains unused or needs to be scrapped in the manufacturing process is now recycled.
The medtech designer, developer and manufacturer specifically cited cold and hot runner tooling systems as modern production processes that have reduced excess raw material usage.
Key projects for the company included energy efficiency optimization at its Carrick-on-Shannon site in Ireland and a sustainability audit that identified key improvements at its Indiana manufacturing operations.