Sustainable environmental management
Sonova is actively engaged in the protection of the environment and pursues the aim of preserving and promoting the safety and cleanliness of working and living areas throughout the Group. To this end, efficient use of natural resources, preventive measures to avoid products and processes having a damaging impact, minimization of waste and the safe and responsible disposal of residual waste constitute the basis of sustainable business practices.
In compliance with the requirements of environmental laws and norms the internal environmental policy of Phonak AG in Stäfa lays the foundation for the implementation of an environmental management system in accordance with the ISO 14001:2004 standard at the company headquarters in Stäfa. The intention is to gradually extend this environmental certificate in future to cover the entire Sonova Group. The Management Board of Phonak AG and the Executive Committee of the Sonova Group hereby commit to the following guiding principles which can be downloaded here.
Most of the materials that Sonova uses to manufacture its hearing systems are environmentally friendly. Use of materials and energy is modest compared with the manufacture of other medical devices. In view of continuous advances in the development of the manufacturing processes, consumption of raw materials, auxiliary materials and working materials is constantly being optimized. Sonova’s products and processes therefore have a small environmental footprint. Nevertheless, Sonova endeavors constantly and in various ways to reduce the existing impact on the environment. Environmental standards that have been implemented Group-wide include:
Ban on CFCs
Since 1992, Phonak has avoided using chlorofluorocarbons, which damage the ozone layer, in its production processes across the Group.
RoHS compliance
The EU directive RoHS 2002/95/EC (Restriction of Hazardous Substances) was implemented Group-wide back in 2006 notwithstanding the currently applicable exemption for medical devices. This directive bans the use of substances that are damaging to the environment such as heavy metals or halogenated compounds in electrical and electronic equipment. Since financial year 2008/09, Sonova has only used lead-free components and therefore fully complies with the directive.
WEEE compliance
To optimize the use of raw materials and improve ecoefficiency, the Sonova Group extended its recycling measures across the entire product life cycle in 2006, thereby complying worldwide with the EU directive on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE). This directive requires electrical and electronic consumer devices to be returned individually to the manufacturer for environmentally friendly disposal, rather than being dumped in the household rubbish. Sonova has signed up to a series of recognized disposal systems in different countries. If these systems do not exist, the company takes back the devices for correct disposal at the headquarters in Switzerland.
REACH-compliant suppliers
In financial year 2009/10, Sonova made sure that its suppliers could prove their compliance with the REACH ordinance (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals) for the safe manufacture and use of chemical substances within the European Union.
The key environmental data shown in the following table cover all Sonova production locations in Switzerland, the Operation Centers (OC) in China and Vietnam, and the most important Group Companies (GC) worldwide. Coverage is around 80% based on the number of employees. Countryspecific emission factors from Ecoinvent and data from the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) were used to measure the carbon footprint.
In financial year 2009/10, the total energy consumption of the Sonova Group increased by 6% to 21,320 MWh. This was driven primarily by growth and acquisitions, which led to a rise in the energy requirement of the Group Companies and Operation Centers. At the Swiss sites, on the other hand, a reduction in overall energy consumption of 7% to 6,687 MWh was achieved despite continuing growth.
The energy data for the Sonova Group are reflected in its carbon footprint, which shows a similar trend. Owing to a more precise method of calculation the emission values for 2009/10 increased compared to last year. However, with emissions currently totaling 10,929 tonnes of CO2 equivalents (CO2eq), the environmental impact remains minimal. This equates to an emission value of 2.38 tonnes of CO2eq per employee. The current recording of greenhouse gas emissions is constantly being extended. The plan is to include air cargo and business trips by plane in the measurement of the footprint in the financial year 2010/11.
The Sonova Group’s water consumption increased slightly in the reporting period, however waste volumes and, notably, emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOC) were reduced Group-wide.