Environment

Klüber can look back on a long tradition of eco-compatible production. Just take a look at our company history ...

1968		Contaminated soil - good-bye! Before our Munich-Obersendling premises were restructured, all soil containing traces of mineral oil was removed thereby eliminating inherited pollution.
1973		Green everywhere! Klüber started to plant trees and shrubs on the company premises almost 30 years ago. Then, a farsighted decision - today, a legal prerequisite for building permits. Blue skies Installation of a central exhaust air purification system. This system has been extended and improved continuously. Today, we use our internal measuring system to determine the total carbon content of the exhaust air - a procedure carried out regularly, in addition to the official technical inspections taking place every three years.
1985		Proud to be picky! Klüber introduced a system for the selection of alternative raw materials and the replacement of critical raw materials.
1988		Let there be water! Klüber began to install a sprinkler system in all production and storage areas.
1989		Phased out! Transformers working with PCB were taken out of service and environmentally friendly air-cooled systems were installed. Optimum storage The raw materials and tank storage area was converted to meet the latest environmental regulations: oil catch basin, water retention basin, automatic firefighting system, ... Raw materials and base oils are only unloaded and dispensed in a special area which is equipped to ensure environmental protection.
1990		Separation rights! New above-ground coalescence separators were installed to replace the old light-oil separators.
1991		Save with gas! Operation was fully converted to natural gas. The three Rs: Reduction of waste water pollution: the inhouse barrel cleaning facility was closed down and the task handed over to professional cleaning companies. Recycling: different types of waste are stored and disposed of separately and, if possible, recycled. Raising awareness: a working group for waste disposal was set up.
1993		No complaints! The department for environmental protection and workplace safety of Freudenberg conducted a first survey at Klüber.
1994		Eco-friendly in every nook and cranny! Lab and production facilities use asbestos-free heating cabinets exclusively. Concrete floors in the basement finished-goods warehouse were newly sealed. Customer benefit! Klüber publishes informational brochure "Interesting things to know about environmental protection"
1995		Digging deeper! The whole underground sewage system at KLM was inspected by video camera and all damaged parts repaired. Profound changes in superficial treatment! The inhouse facilities for electroplating and phosphatizing metallic surfaces were closed down and these tasks handed over to a specialized company. Clean management! An environmental audit was conducted by an independent consulting company to prepare for the introduction of an environmental management system at Klüber.
1996		Gimme shelter! The whole roof of the disposal site was renovated - cement slabs containing asbestos were replaced with corrugated metal.
1997		Sounds of silence! Noise emissions were reduced significantly by the use of new ventilation systems. Everybody's concerned! Over 90% of the staff took part in an internal information session committing all participants, individually, to Klüber's environmental policy and environmental management system. And the award goes to... Klüber Lubrication receives the Environmental Award of the City of Munich for their outstanding contribution in the field of eco-compatible business.
1998		Pure joy! An inhouse waste water treatment facility working on the basis of ultrafiltration outputs purified waste water. This is a crystal-clear advantage for Klüber with a view to the enhanced environmental standards that are to be expected in the future.
2000		…Klüber on the sunny side! Klüber opts for solar energy. The total energy given off by the sun per year is about 10,000 times the global demand for energy. Still, around 90% of our energy demand is covered by fossil sources, and only 0.5% by solar power. As photovoltaic systems are being developed further, this technology is expected to be utilized more and more in the near future. (In fact, its utilization has gone up from 5.6 MW output in 1992 to 40.3 MW five years later.) So what does Klüber do in this respect? A 2 kW solar generator has been installed on one of our buildings in Munich. The average time of annual insolation is approx. 1830 hours, which means that an output of around 2000 kWh is expected. This is about half the year's consumption of a household of three. During the first two months of operation, approx. 450 kWh was fed into the company grid. In the future, a large electronic display will keep staff, customers and suppliers informed on the electricity being generated. According to our estimations, the solar generator is an investment that will pay for itself in about 10 years time.
2001		American environmentalists In November, Klüber North America built on earlier environmental successes by releasing its Environmental Policy Statement. Klüber North America is dedicated to the manufacture of quality products while continually improving upon their environmental performance....