We shoulder our responsibility. For the environment as well as for society. The protection of our environment is a cause which is very close to our hearts, and therefore a key component of our company culture. From the development, production and distribution of our products right up to our social responsibility to our employees and to society, we want to improve our ecological and social footprint and keep the effects on our natural resources at as low a level as possible.
Our formulations and ingredients
We strongly believe that innovations should not come at the expense of the environment. We are therefore delighted to be producing sustainable formulas with innovative active substances and ingredients, or following your stipulated recipes while taking into account sustainability aspects.
We create innovations in the hair, face and body care sector and continuously develop the formulation portfolio. Our focus is always on sustainability and resource-saving processing. Forward-looking technologies that take into account the latest research findings form the basis for this.
Our quality for your product safety
- Microbiological testing according to validated current standards and methods.
- Complete traceability.
- Continuous quality assurance during all production steps.
- In-house laboratory with state-of-the-art equipment for chemical-physical testing.
- Odor & appearance testing by qualified personnel.
- Viscosity, refractive index and penetration measurement.
- Measurement of pH value.
- Density measurement.
- Lab measurement (color determination)
Alternative ingredients
REACH:
When developing our products, we make sure that they are only manufactured with raw materials that comply with the REACH chemicals regulation. This is because the main objective of REACH is to protect human health and the environment.
RENEWABLE RAW MATERIALS:
We always use a high proportion of renewable raw materials in our natural cosmetics products.
WITHOUT MICROPLASTICS:
In all our natural cosmetic formulations, we naturally avoid microplastics 100%.
UPCYCLING:
In the meantime, we offer an ever-growing portfolio of raw materials and active ingredients resulting from an upcycling cycle, e.g. from food production.
Palm oil
Palm oil and palm kernel oil are important starting materials for many of our products. They serve as emulsifiers, skin care ingredients, consistency enhancers or washing-active substances. Since no oil plant is as productive as the oil palm, switching to other oils involves far more land consumption and thus greater ecological damage. That’s why we use palm and palm kernel oil-based raw materials, but they are certified to the RSPO supply chain standard according to “Mass Balance.”
By introducing certification to the RSPO standard - as one of the first from the industry (2019) - our company demonstrates the implementation of verifiable requirements set in relation to the control of RSPO-certified palm oil products in the supply chain, thus contributing to the oil palm value chain.
Purchasing looks for alternative raw materials and packaging, while Development researches and tests alternative formulations. The Technology and Production departments optimize the use of energy.
Check our progress at https://rspo.org/members/9-2502-18-000-00/
Sustainable packaging
In the selection of packaging materials, too, we are concerned to buy sustainable and and fair trade packaging materials. We already pay attention to this during the development of a product idea:
- Offer recyclable packaging.
- Offer mono-materials (designed for recycling).
- Offer packaging with a high recyclate content.
- Sourcing of packaging materials from local suppliers.
- General reduction of packaging materials. (e.g. refill concepts / reduced wall thickness).
- Development/offering of innovative products, such as solid pieces or powder products to saving of packaging waste.
Efficient use of water
Did you know that the proportion of fresh water on the planet is only approx. 3%, and that only a fraction of this is accessible to humans? The majority of it is in the form of ice, snow and permafrost. In addition to this, water as a resource is distributed unequally in the world, and threatened by increasing pollution and climate change.
Water plays a key role in our value chain, whether this is during production or as an essential ingredient. It is therefore very important to us that we use water as efficiently as possible through certain measures and processes.
To do this, we have introduced the following steps:
Water treatment in a two-stage reverse osmosis plant:
We often use a reverse osmosis plant to produce ultrapure water. This is also a case of forming waste water, which is frequently disposed of via sewer systems.
In purchasing a two-stage reverse osmosis plant, Szaidel has been able to increase the yield of ultrapure water to 75%. As a result of this, significantly less drinking water is wasted.
Cooling water for production:
We need cooling water to cool down the machines in production. This is used in a closed cycle, thus significantly reducing the consumption of drinking water. In winter, our state-of-the-art cooling unit cools the water using the cold outdoor air.
Steam production
Steam is used to heat the mixing vessel. In an almost closed cycle, the condensation formed during heating is gathered and brought back into the process. This means that we do not require new, treated water to generate steam. As the condensation still has a high temperature when it is fed back into the process, we also require less energy to heat it.
Waste water treatment
Our surface water is channeled into a nearby body of water separate from our waste water. The waste water is treated in a fully automated waste water treatment plant. The separated organic part of the waste water is drained and the sludge which is left behind is made available to biogas producers.
Energy
Climate neutral energy
Unlike the fossil energy sources natural gas, coal and petroleum, which are finite resources and whose use leads to high CO2 emissions, renewable energies are based on the use of regenerative resources, which are virtually infinitely available. For our contribution to sustainable energy sources, we have been using only green electricity since 2021.
Solar energy
In February 2022, our in-house solar plant went into operation. This has a peak output of 246 kW. We expect that at 80% utilization of the solar plant, the solar share in our electricity consumption will be about 15%. In addition, we always consume the solar power directly
Conversion to LED and motion detector
We began converting the lighting at the site to LED in 2019 and have since completed this. The electricity savings for lighting power is around 60% for the entire company. Outside, motion detectors have been installed wherever possible to reduce unnecessary electricity consumption
Others
All of our hardware is optimized for energy efficiency and has received energy efficiency awards such as “Energie Star”. As a further measure to save energy, some of the office and conference rooms have already been equipped with time-controlled thermostats.
Production & Transport
a) External transport:
For transports organized by Szaidel we cooperate with the company Wasem Logistik from nearby Kaiserslautern. All trucks of the forwarding agency have the pollutant class EURO 6. Likewise, the transports & the diesel consumption at Wasem are CO2 compensated.
b) In-house transport logistics:
We do not use new cardboard boxes for internal transport or interim storage, but use reusable and used transport packaging
Waste
The company has implemented a waste management system to ensure optimum waste separation. In addition, a press for paper and cardboard is being planned in order to compress the material as much as possible so that fewer containers (trips) are necessary. Waste chutes and slides are also to be used to reduce internal transport routes in the future
Paper
Paper with a recycled paper content is used throughout the company. The paper used is an FSC mix and certified with EU Ecolable.
Social sustainability
Social raw materials
When selecting raw materials, we always make sure to buy raw materials from fair trade
Education & training of employees
We promote ecological training and awareness among our employees. They know the ecological goals and the most important measures of the company. They are periodically informed about the implementation of the environmental mission statement and are also encouraged to contribute their own suggestions. We cooperate constructively with authorities, companies and organizations in dealing with ecological problems. Instruction and training on environmental protection and occupational safety issues are carried out on a regular basis.
- In-house trainings / seminars.
- Digital training materials.
- Online seminars (webinars).
- e-Learning.
Mobility
Our location is centrally located in the Kaiserslautern area, with direct access to public transportation. Many employees who live in the area use bicycles for their daily commute. When circumstances permit, car pools are formed.
Environmental management with a clear goal
In addition, we take into account the environmental management of our customers and therefore strive for certification according to DIN EN ISO 14001. The goals of ISO 14001 are already part of our company philosophy and are to become part of our daily lived company culture:
- Continuous optimization of operational environmental protection.
- Internationally recognized proof of our responsible actions.
- Greater public confidence thanks to demonstrably sustainable business practices.
- Systematic consideration of opportunities and risks.
- Increased legal certainty and reduction of environmental risks
TÜV Nord advises us on these issues. It supports us in all certification issues and is responsible for our independent audits.
Ecotest compliant products
Products developed at SZAIDEL COSMETICS have already been successfully tested 30 times in ÖKO-TEST over the last 5 years. The awards relate to our entire product portfolio and demonstrate our product diversity.
Carbon offset products
If they choose so, Szaidel Cosmetics customers may have the carbon generated in the manufacture of their products offset by climate partners. This means that they can reduce their carbon footprint and thus make a contribution to protecting the environment.
