SCHÄFER Container Systems offers durable stainless steel container solutions for numerous industries. From food to hazardous goods – everything can be safely stored and transported in our IBCs, without any environmentally harmful plastics. IBCs are easy to clean, can be reused for several decades and are 100% recyclable. You are therefore already part of a sustainable circular economy!

Promoting a circular economy for greater sustainability

A sustainable circular economy requires a high level of reusability. SCHÄFER Container Systems offers IBCs with a long service life of 30 years and longer. This allows packaging costs to be reduced to a minimum and storage space to be better utilised. And even at the end of their long service life, our IBCs can be 100% recycled thanks to their stainless steel construction.

Establishing a circular economy

As a durable, reusable solution, stainless steel IBCs are part of a sustainable circular economy. Our stainless steel IBCs can be fully recycled at the end of their long life cycle. This is only possible to a limited extent with plastic IBCs which, despite being reusable, usually have to be disposed of as commercial and industrial waste.

Versatile use

One of the great advantages of stainless steel IBCs is their simple and sustainable cleaning, which is carried out without harmful chemicals. In contrast to plastic IBCs, stainless steel solutions are fireproof and can be heated if necessary.

Keeping an overview, avoiding replacements

A smart heating control system, with functions such as geo tracking, data logging, network connection, back and front end, is available for stainless steel IBCs from SCHÄFER Container Systems. Individual containers and entire container fleets can be centrally controlled and monitored with this new technology.

Increasing economic efficiency

Unlike plastic IBCs, for example, stainless steel IBCs can be used for various substances – from foodstuffs to hazardous goods – for several decades. Running costs can be significantly reduced over a long period of time with stainless steel IBCs.

Promoting metal packaging

Together with initiatives such as "Metal Recycles Forever", SCHÄFER Container Systems is committed to promoting the use of reusable solutions in numerous industries. This is the only way to establish a better circular economy across the globe in a sustainable fashion and avoid tons and tons of plastic waste.

Circular economy and durability

SCHÄFER Container Systems has set itself the goal of developing IBC products and KEGs made of stainless steel that are characterised by an extremely long service life. Our products are truly reusable products that can replace single-use packaging, as KEGs and IBCs made of stainless steel enable a genuine circular economy to work sustainably.

Stainless steel KEGs and IBCs from SCHÄFER Container Systems can be used for well over 30 years. They can also be fully recycled at the end of their long life cycle without any loss of quality – unlike plastic packaging.

Part of sustainable development

The entire SCHÄFER WERKE Group wants to be part of a positive development that promotes sustainability and climate protection worldwide. Our companies work with partners and associations to permanently reduce the carbon footprint of all products in our range.

All products, investments and processes focus on durability, the circular economy and the optimal utilisation of resources.

Efficient sustainability management

SCHÄFER relies on efficient, cross-company energy management. Tobias Bergert has been Sustainability Manager at SCHÄFER WERKE since autumn 2022. He is not only the head of our sustainability project, but also your expert and contact for all ongoing developments.

The development and continuous maintenance of the environmental and energy management system will ensure further progress, as evidenced by several certifications. SCHÄFER also raises awareness of the issue of sustainability among its trainees at an early stage. Projects such as tree planting, optimising recycling or green roofs are intended to spark interest in personal responsibility for a sustainable lifestyle at an early stage – even outside the workplace.

Self-sufficient energy generation

All SCHÄFER WERKE companies already obtain a large proportion of their electricity requirements from renewable energies. Projects such as the expansion of the solar park on Pfannenberg with a free-standing PV area of over 11,500 square metres are another major step towards self-sufficient energy generation.

Further photovoltaic projects with a PV area of around 3000 square metres are planned at the sites in the Czech Republic and Treuen in Saxony. The Betzdorf site has been operating its own combined heat and power plant since 2012 and the Pfannenberg site since 2013.

Diverse commitment and cooperation

SCHÄFER is not working on greater sustainability alone, but has partners who are pursuing the same goal. The Salzgitter Group and ArcelorMittal are working together with SCHÄFER to develop solutions for better green steel and drive forward decarbonisation.

In addition, all SCHÄFER WERKE companies are active in other sustainability projects. SCHÄFER is one of the founding members of the Steel Keg Association and actively supports Metal Packaging Europe's "Metal Recycles Forever" project. SCHÄFER is also involved at local level in the ECOPROFIT co-operation project, which is committed to greater climate protection.

Sustainable products

Sustainability encompasses more than just the manufacture of our products. They should not only be created from environmentally friendly resources such as green steel or climate-friendly energies, but must also offer our customers a sustainable basis for their products.

SCHÄFER is therefore focussing on topics such as recycling and the circular economy. Even the high-quality products that we offer our customers will eventually have to be replaced. It is important that this point in time is far in the future. And when it comes, our products must be recyclable to ensure the sustainable use of resources.

Green steel and sustainable logistics

In addition to the conventional product range of numerous grades, the EMW Steel Service Centre also offers you coils and blanks made of "green", CO2-reduced steel. Our products of all grades, including green steel, are available to you within the shortest possible time.

The EMW Steel Service Centre also attaches great importance to green logistics. Away from the road, towards the railway. In addition, we are increasingly converting our own vehicle fleet to electric drives. We support the cross-industry, standardised classification "Low Emission Steel Standard" (LESS) for CO2-reduced steel.

Energy-efficient logistics

Away from the road, onto the railway: Focussing freight transport more on trains not only saves further carbon emissions in the long term, but also counteracts the heavy congestion on road transport routes. SCHÄFER will therefore continue to expand deliveries by train and offer a railway siding at additional locations.

But that alone cannot replace lorries. SCHÄFER is therefore gradually converting its own vehicle fleet to modern electric vehicles. The expansion also includes the provision of several charging points. Semitrailers made of lightweight aluminium are already being used to transport steel coils. This saves weight, which in turn reduces the fuel consumption and pollutant emissions of towing vehicles.

Industrial building with CO2-reduced "green steel"

After a construction period of around six months, the time has come: With the commissioning of the new dispatch hall, the EMW Steel Service Centre at its Treuen site in Saxony can operate much more efficiently. This also represents a clear commitment to the production facility, in which the company intends to invest further.

The extension with a storage area of over 1200 square metres and an enclosed space of 10,200 cubic metres significantly improves processes. The storage capacity has increased by around 2000 tonnes of material ready for dispatch, enabling continuous operation in two shifts from this year onwards.

EMW strengthens supply chain for greentec steel Edition

The EMW Steel Service Centre and voestalpine Stahl confirm their intention to expand the availability of CO2-reduced steel for the steel-processing industry in Europe. Starting this year, voestalpine Stahl will supply the independent EMW Steel Service Centre with greentec steel Edition steel – premium quality with a reduced carbon footprint. In the course of reaching the agreement, both parties have communicated their CO2 reduction targets transparently.

"As one of Europe's largest independent steel service centres, we are pleased to be able to expand the green steel supply chain through the supply agreement with voestalpine Stahl. This is a strategic agreement with a major European steel producer. One of our ambitious goals is to achieve complete climate neutrality in Scope 1 and 2 by as soon as 2030," explains EMW Managing Director Michael Mockenhaupt.

Green steel for new solutions in vehicle production

In the supply chains of the automotive industry, steel is one of the main sources of carbon emissions. The independent EMW Steel Service Centre, based in the municipality of Neunkirchen in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia in western Germany, has been supplying CO2-reduced steel since the end of 2022. This enables EMW to reliably procure green steel products for its customers. In turn, this facilitates the development and production of climate-neutral cars. As part of its decarbonisation measures, Mercedes-Benz has commissioned EMW to supply CO2-reduced steel.

Using the thin sheet metal from the slit strips supplied by EMW, Mercedes-Benz AG manufactures a structural part at its Sindelfingen plant to reinforce the underframe assembly of a range of its models. These include the Mercedes-Benz C-Class and E-Class, the Mercedes-Benz GLC, the Mercedes-AMG GT and the Mercedes-Benz EQC.

EMW invests in new warehouse location for sustainable logistics

With the aim of concentrating locations, the EMW Steel Service Centre, a business unit of the SCHÄFER WERKE Group headquartered in Neunkirchen, Germany, has acquired the northern part of the former EEW Bergrohr production site in Siegen-Weidenau. The property comprises around 23,000 square metres of commercial space, production halls and its own rail connection.

A warehouse with a capacity of 100,000 tonnes of steel sheet is being built on the former production site, with the possibility to extend it in future. The factory halls will be equipped with state-of-the-art technology, including new crane systems for four handling areas, as well as a sophisticated loading and safety concept. Total investments made were in the double-digit million range.

EMW receives silver medal from EcoVadis for 2023

Since its foundation in 2007, EcoVadis has become the world's largest and most trusted provider of corporate sustainability ratings, having built up an international network of more than 100,000 rated companies. The score evaluation relates to the areas of environment, labour and human rights, ethics and sustainable procurement. More and more companies and their business partners want to improve sustainability practices and their transparency – and so do we at EMW.

We met the high standards of the EcoVadis assessment and were awarded the silver medal on the basis of an interactive and action-orientated scorecard that determines our corporate social responsibility (CSR) rating. Silver status is only awarded to the top 25% of companies that participate. We use the evaluation methodology as a tool to improve ourselves step by step.

Single-type recycling of all grades

SCHÄFER Perforated Metal not only uses state-of-the-art CNC machines and perforating presses, which save enormous amounts of energy in the production of perforated sheet components. We have specialised in collecting the slug scrap by type and recycling it completely.

Our range also includes products made from CO2-reduced "green steel". Components from SCHÄFER Perforated Metal can also help you to reduce your CO2 footprint in the long term. The components can also be used in other sustainable projects, such as the production of e-fuels or battery boxes for electric vehicles and for hydrogen production.

New perforating system increases efficiency and sustainability

Investment for SCHÄFER Perforated Metal to reach new markets and industries

The new wide press for the SCHÄFER Perforated Metal business unit from the Belgian manufacturer Soenen is in operation. A first step towards the expansion and extension of the machinery has thus been taken, and the modernisation achieved takes into account the requirements of a constantly growing and changing market.

Green IT for greater sustainability

SCHÄFER IT-Systems not only works with sustainable solutions for the manufacture of our high-quality products. We also want to offer our customers the opportunity to operate their IT infrastructure sustainably. Our experts are constantly developing new technologies that require less energy to function and use natural resources at the same time.

The focus is not only on the German Energy Efficiency Act. We want to offer our customers high-performance cooling systems that dispense with climate-damaging coolants and enable better IT cooling with pure water. Our products help to sustainably promote the expansion of green IT.

Sustainability at SCHÄFER Container Systems

Promoting a circular economy for greater sustainability

Establishing a circular economy

Versatile use

Keeping an overview, avoiding replacements

Increasing economic efficiency

Promoting metal packaging

Milestones for climate protection

Certificate ISO 50001:2018

Certificate ISO 50001:2018

Certificate ISO 50001:2018 Annex

Certficate ISO 50001:2018 entire

Certificate DIN EN ISO 9001:2015

Certificate DIN EN ISO 9001:2015 SCHÄFER SUDEX EN

Certificate ISO 9001-2015 SCHÄFER SUDEX CZ

Certificate ISO 9001-2015 SCHÄFER SUDEX RU

Green topics

Logistics

Energy

Products

Sustainability report

Trainee projects

Partners

Sustainability throughout the SCHÄFER WERKE Group