Sustainability at novotegra in numbers
Products made in Europe (%)
Recycled percentage of our aluminium products (up to %)
Percentage of our aluminium products that are manufactured using recycled materials (%)
Sustainability on site
Our own PV system in Tübingen
A great example is our building in Tübingen. We have installed a single-layer novotegra flat-roof solar PV system which delivers renewable electricity - an output of 1 MWp!
This self-generated green energy is used to power our own on-site activities, including our fleet of e-vehicles and the transport vehicles in our warehouse.
E-vehicles: fleet & charging stations
Our vehicle fleet consists mainly of electric and hybrid vehicles. In addition, we offer all employees and visitors the opportunity to charge their electrically-powered vehicles free of charge and in front of our main entrance – all drawing from our own rooftop solar generation source.
Company bicycles for our employees
Want to take a quick trip to the beautiful city centre of Tübingen during your lunch break?
No problem: our bicycle fleet (which, by the way, came from donations) is available for all employees to use. We think this is the perfect way to encourage colleagues to take exercise, enjoy the fresh air and get away from their desks for a while.
In addition, we offer every employee the opportunity to use the Job-Bike service so that they can easily cycle to work.
A heart for insects - our flowering strip
Our many insects such as bees and butterflies are increasingly threatened by the changing environment and the impact of climate change. They are little heroes of everyday life - especially bees – so we need to care for them too.
We have developed a special area, a strip of land with flowers and grasses, which provides insects with food and additional habitat.
Sustainability in procurement
Use of recycled materials
Our components are largely made from recycled materials.
According to our suppliers, the proportion of recycled components ranges from 40% - 100%, depending on the material and component!
We will continue to try to increase this proportion in the future and keep an eye out for new solutions.
Supply chain law - protection of human rights
From 2023 onwards, companies will be obliged to guarantee the observance of human rights along their entire supply chain.
novotegra has already taken responsibility for this and has checks and balances in place to monitor the processes of individual companies across our supply chain.
Certifications of our suppliers
- ISO 14001
- ISO 50001
- ISO 45001
- ISO 50001
- EN 15804
- ISO 14025
- ASI Performance Standard & ASI Chain of Custody Certificates
Sustainability in the warehouse
Sourcing sustainable electricity
The PV systems installed on our warehouse, built in 2023, generate around 1 million kWh of electricity annually.
The green electricity generated is used to power our range of warehouse vehicles, to heat our warehouse with a heat pump, and for floor conveyance in the warehouse.
Thanks to the newly-installed lithium-ion batteries, these warehouse vehicles now last even longer!
Sustainable filling and packaging material
Turn old into new! We have developed a process that enables us to produce our own filling material from 100% recycled cardboard. And this is not where the circle closes - we also encourage all recipients to reuse the filling material! Adhesive tape made of plastic? Not with us! Our parcels reach our customers securely packed with adhesive paper tape.
This recycling process can save several kilos of cardboard waste per working day.
Sustainability in logistics
Short transport distances
We attach great importance to ensuring that our assembly system reaches you via the shortest possible transport route.
That's why our logistics experts optimise our routes right down to the last detail and evaluate them on an ongoing basis. On this basis, we can plan even better and more sustainably in the future.
Recycling novotegra mounting system
Extended value chain
Even after production and delivery, the sustainability of our mounting systems still plays a primary role. After completion of the intended service life, the majority of the various components can be returned to the value-added process, separated according to material. Components made of aluminium or stainless steel (e.g. rails, basic profiles or round steel roof hooks and hanger bolts) have a recycling potential of up to 100%! Not to forget that these are valuable raw materials that can be profitably handed in via commercial recycling centres. The components of our green roof system, which already consists of recycled components, can also be 100% reused.
A look into the future does not exclude the possibility of using our mounting system again (repowering: reuse of the mounting system with new modules of the same size).
“ “At novotegra, sustainability begins with the product design, where we try to achieve the highest possible stability with the least possible use of materials. It continues with the extreme durability of our mounting systems, for which we give a 12-year product guarantee. And with the recent acquisition of PV Integ, we are now delivering completely new applications (green roofs) using recycled plastic. We work hard to understand sustainability more comprehensively and involve our suppliers and customers in the journey."
BayWa AG's Group-wide climate strategy
In 2017, BayWa r.e. set a goal to achieve carbon neutral operations from 2018 onwards. We achieved our goal by offsetting all our operative carbon emissions as of the end of 2018. But this was just the beginning. In 2020, we launched our Sustainability Framework 2025 with the objective of expanding our existing sustainability commitment from being ‘100% carbon compensated’ to go ‘beyond carbon’. The Sustainability Framework therefore emphasises and encourages employee-driven sustainability initiatives and projects that support social, economic and environmental objectives.
