Environmental protection

Hazardous substances in production pose a constant risk to employees and the environment. This is why the KION Group has set itself the objective of banning hazardous and critical substances from its production processes. To achieve this, it is working on a blacklist which identifies the particular substances. In 2018 it will have completed its work to produce an inventory of critical substances used in production. It will have also planned the phase-out process by then, so that it can give its programme the green light as soon as possible after that. The KION Group already took an initial step in 2016 when it committed itself to achieving the mid-term objective of eliminating components that are manufactured using chromium VI in all of its products.

Using water sparingly comes naturally to the KION Group, not least for cost reasons. As its business activities only have a relatively low impact on water quality, the KION Group does not need to carry out its own pretreatment prior to discharge, except for the use of light fluid separators.

In 2016 the KION Group used 455,099 m³ of water Group-wide* (> Table 9). The majority of this came from communal supplies, and was also returned to the water system via the public sewage system (> Table 10).

To further reduce its water consumption, 20 of the entities covered in the reporting process have set specific water-savings targets. In this regard, the measures are just as diverse as the processes in the Company. For example, at one production plant high-pressure nozzles are used in the wash halls. At a number of locations, the integration of water-saving appliances is reducing water consumption, and water-consumption costs are monitored continuously. Last but not least, it raises awareness among its employees about using water sparingly through internal communication measures.

The KION Group’s production plants in particular generate a wide variety of waste (> Table 11). In 2016 this amounted to 51,042 tonnes globally within the KION Group*. The waste is separated locally into its constituent parts and, if it cannot be reused or recycled, disposed of in accordance with local regulations.

41,864 tonnes (82 percent) of the total waste volume was classified as non-hazardous, whereas 9,179 tonnes (18 percent) was hazardous. At the KION Group, this hazardous waste mainly comprises waste lead-acid batteries, waste paint, solvents and waste oil.

The KION Group’s fundamental aim is to continuously reduce the amount of waste it generates. In this regard, systematic reuse is a key driver to further increase environmental friendliness in waste management. Across the KION Group* 81.9 percent of waste is already recycled, of which materials account for the majority. By 2018 it intends to set a specific reuse and recycling rate target in the ‘Environmental protection’ action field. This will then be used as the basis to set and implement waste management programmes at a Group and local level.

38 reporting entities already pursue specific targets to reduce their waste volume, of which 14 are plants and 24 are sales and service locations. Measures including the reuse of packaging materials, improved waste separation and raising of employees’ awareness regarding the separation and avoidance of waste help it to achieve its targets.

Wherever the KION Group is active, it tries to minimise the impact its activities have on the environment and its immediate neighbours. Filter and exhaust-extraction systems such as at welding workshops and paint shops make a major contribution to preserving the quality of air and water. Effective monitoring systems ensure that it responds quickly in an emergency, and prevents environmental damage to the greatest extent possible.

When procuring company vehicles, their CO₂ and particulate emissions are key criteria in its decision-making process. It takes protective measures to minimise noise emissions wherever possible, particularly at its production plants.

As at the end of the reporting year the KION Group’s* locations covered an area of 2,904,642 m², of which 1,804,655 m² is sealed.