As a medium-sized company we are aware that economic, political and social sustainability requirements are constantly increasing. As a consequence, a company needs to have and implement a sustainability strategy on order to assert itself on the market in the long term.

This requires vision. We need to consider sustainability along our entire value chain and in a broader global-economic context. On the basis of this overall concept, Epple Druckfarben AG has set comprehensive goals, for example, in the areas of CO2 reduction, raw material procurement and product development. In this endeavour we are following the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations. Our most important lever to strengthen the sustainable printing industry continues, of course, to remain our innovative range of ecological printing inks and varnishes. They are contributing to our vision of the best-possible circular economy in the printing and paper industry.

Planning and implementing sustainability measures, also with regard to future legal requirements such as the German Supply Chain Act (LkSG), requires extensive knowledge of internal and external production and business processes. Epple has started to create the structures necessary to acquire this knowledge and will continue to build on these. As with all challenges, we must view sustainability to be what it really is: A great opportunity for the printing industry and the success of our company!

Dr. Carl Epple
Spokesperson of the Executive Board and responsible for Production, Innovation and Development

“Sustainability remains a core part of our strategic planning. As a pioneer in the development of ecological printing inks, we have acquired advanced knowledge in our sector that continues to pay dividends. Awareness of sustainability has been raised in all spheres of life and we can now offer our customers forward-looking solutions. In future, we also want to address sustainability issues with a holistic business approach.”

Sought and found: The core sustainability team

Planning and managing strategic sustainability decisions and measures demands a wide range of expertise. The new eight-person core sustainability team at Epple Druckfarben AG has this in hand. The team is led by Dr. Vroni Walter, Head of R&D, and Sebastian Zech, expert in product and environmental safety. They are advising the entire board at Epple Druckfarben AG about the developed plans and results. Other team members include the research and development board, as well as specialists from the purchasing, marketing and quality management departments.

(f. l. t. r.) Helga Gutzeit, Dr. Carl Epple, Andrea Wiedmann, Sebastian Zech, Ramona Bösch, Dr. Vroni Walter

What does the team want to achieve? First, it is pressing ahead with a range of projects. For instance, in the first phase of the regular team meetings, a key visual and a strong vision was developed, which serve as a guiding principle for developing sustainability at Epple. This vision now forms the framework for strategic goals and measures, and enables a more effective use of resources. Second, the team is viewed as an internal multiplier and intends to raise awareness and enthusiasm for environmental topics among Epple Druckfarben employees.