Sustainability has shaped KNIPEX for over 140 years. But today, the challenge is bigger. From climate-friendly steel to global partnerships, David Barnes, Sales and Marketing Manager, explains how responsible toolmaking can shape a better future.
When people talk about sustainability in manufacturing, it is often reduced to carbon targets and compliance checklists. These matter of course, but at KNIPEX it goes much deeper. Sustainability has been part of who we are for over 140 years, but it’s no longer enough just to do better than yesterday. Our challenge now is to rethink how we design, source, produce and recycle across the entire supply chain, because we believe we have a responsibility – to the environment, to our communities and to the generations who will use the tools we make.
Targets backed by action
This mindset drives our approach to our operations. We have set ourselves a clear goal: to halve our greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, using 2020 as our baseline, and by 2045 we aim to be climate neutral across the board. It’s a tough target, but we are already making great progress.
Since 2020, we have cut our emissions by a third. A big part of that is thanks to switching to 100% green electricity and 100% biogas in our operations, but we are also investing in long-term change. We promote e-mobility with our company’s electric cars and our public e-charging station, which runs using the solar power we have been self-generating since 2011 (and we are continuously expanding that capacity). We have even started converting our first large power units to run on hydrogen – another step towards decarbonising production.
Over 83% of our pliers now come in packaging made entirely from recycled material and all our plastic handles are made with recycled content. Inside our factory gates, it’s about considering waste a resource, not a problem; steel, wood, cardboard and other residual materials are fully recycled.
Over half of our greenhouse gas emissions are generated in Scope 3 – indirect emissions that originate from sources outside KNIPEX’s immediate control, such as transportation of materials and emissions from externally sourced raw materials. Steel production is a carbon-intensive process and the lion’s share of these Scope 3 emissions comes from the steel used to manufacture our high quality pliers. But we are committed to achieving our climate goals.
Climate-optimised raw materials will play a big part here and we are working closely with our long-time steel supplier, the Swiss Steel Group, to reduce emissions at the source and make sustainable steel a core part of our production. We were the first tool manufacturer to purchase Green Steel Climate+, a product made using hydro-powered electric arc furnaces and 100% recycled scrap. The carbon saving is huge; compared to conventional crude steel, emissions are cut by 98% per tonne, marking a huge shift in how raw materials can support Net Zero goals.
Thinking in circles, not straight lines
Our sense of responsibility doesn’t stop at our own factory gates; it also shapes how we work beyond them and has led to our involvement in initiatives like Circular Valley. For those who haven’t come across it, Circular Valley is a regional project in Germany that brings together manufacturers, researchers and start-ups to explore real-world solutions for a circular economy.
Through Circular Valley, we have supported efforts like Plastic Fischer, a start-up company that is the first in the world to tackle river plastic, working to intercept it before it reaches the ocean. With our backing, it has removed over 70 tonnes of plastic from the Ganges’ tributaries and created local employment in the process. It’s a clear example of how partnerships can make a global impact, even if they start small.
We are committed to climate protection on an international basis. Since 2016, for example, we have been involved in a project aiming to regreen areas of the Libyan desert with our local cooperation partner SEKEM. So far, 49,366 trees have been planted, which annually offset 1.804 tonnes of CO2.
The truth is, we live and work thanks to the world around us. The conditions and resources we rely on, air, water, raw materials, aren’t infinite. At KNIPEX, we believe that acknowledging this is essential for business. We want to be a good employer, a reliable partner and a positive presence in society. Success matters to us, but not at any cost. We are guided by long-term thinking and a belief that you can run a responsible, profitable business without cutting corners.
The demand for sustainably made tools is also growing. Whether it’s working on public sector sites with procurement requirements or just doing their bit for the planet, tradespeople increasingly want to know that the products they are using have been made responsibly.
At KNIPEX, we don’t claim to have all the answers, but we are taking action. From cleaner steel and recycled packaging to solar energy and international reforestation, we are proving that toolmaking can be both high quality and low impact. It’s not about ticking sustainability boxes, it’s about doing what’s right, now and for the future, and we are proud to play our part.
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