Sustainability

Reforestation and conservation

We've integrated an effective, compensation-based sustainability strategy that protects the environment and measurably reduces overall CO₂ emissions. CEWE has chosen to support the Kasigau Wildlife Corridor Project to reforest and protect 500,000 acres of dryland forest in the south-west of Kenya.

The Kasigau Wildlife Corridor Project helps to offset somewhere around one million tons of CO₂ emissions annually, and will avoid the emission of over 54 million tonnes of CO₂ over the course of it's 30-year life.

The project has also provided job creation and sustainable development activities for the local community, such as –

• Developing a local infrastructure for around 150,000 people living in the region
• Fresh water access to over 10,000 community members
• 2,300 school scholarships for children of the community
• The protection of endangered populations of over 350 species, including African elephants
• Ensuring operations meet the Verified Carbon Standard (VSC). The VCS is a leading international carbon offsetting registry, which ensures a project delivers contracted emissions reductions.

Additionally, CEWE offsets around 210,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions by supporting two certified wind farm projects in southern India and China.

The region's economic development is at risk due to poor energy supply. Fossil fuels are also frequently used to generate electricity in this area. Therefore, support for the wind farms helps to secure the local energy supply while creating emission-free power at the same time.

Our suppliers

We choose the suppliers we work with very carefully. Our standards are high, and include the consideration of low costs, as well as proven competence, long-term and constant quality assurance, and ecological, economic and social integrity.

We carefully review our suppliers with regard to their work practices, human rights compliance and ecological record. Wherever possible, we work with suppliers who are close in proximity to our production sites. This enables us to increase local economic power and reduce CO₂ emissions from transport logistics. In 2019, 56% of the materials we used were sourced locally. Our goal is to utilise a higher number of local suppliers in the future and to reduce CO₂ emissions in supply logistics.

Renewable energy

The CEWE Group favours the use of renewable energy. Since 2019, the group has saved 9153 tonnes of CO2 thanks to the use of renewable energy by purchasing green electricity and installing photovoltaic (solar) panels on the roof of our printing laboratories in Freiburg, Munich and Oldenburg, with a view to installing them in all the group's laboratories.

The CEWE Group is also committed to reducing its energy consumption by installing LED lighting across its production sites, as well as optimising the energy consumption of our computer servers.

CEWE encourages the use of electrical and hybrid vehicles by subsidising the installation of charging points and covering the cost of electricity.

Waste management

The CEWE Group is committed to reducing waste from its production activity by implementing the rigorous sorting of waste to facilitate recycling.

As a result of these activities, CEWE generated less than 30% waste for the second consecutive year (28.1% in 2020).

96% of our packaging is made from recycled materials - only 2.6% of it contains plastic!

Recycling chemical components

The CEWE Group has been recycling chemical components related to the development of photos since the 1980s.

• 89% of chemical components are recycled
• 95% of the silver we use for the development of film photos is recovered.

Responsible water management

Water is a precious natural resource. CEWE has been reusing water as much as possible for many years. Rainwater is used for up to 16% of the group's total consumption. CEWE drastically limits the use of polluting and harmful substances in waste-water treatment.