As one of the leading global manufacturers of collagen proteins, GELITA is particularly committed to society and the environment. Sustainability is much more than just a corporate strategy; environmental responsibility is an absolute prerequisite for GELITA's success in the market. Managing and developing the company from an environmental, social and economic point of view is an important task for the future. As GELITA processes natural raw materials, the sustainable use of Earth’s resources is vitally important. We are aware of this responsibility and act accordingly.

The GELITA Group manufactures collagen proteins in 21 plants on five continents. The company continually strives to improve existing processes at its production sites and reduce the consequences of its activities on the environment. Beyond wanting to eradicate chemical ingredients or E-numbers in food products, consumers — and business partners — crave more clarity. They want to know where their ingredients and raw materials come from and how they’ve been produced, particularly regarding environmental issues such as energy and water demand, ethical sourcing, production conditions and safety. The times when production happened behind closed doors are long gone. These days, promoting sustainable operations is a must — and the better companies perform in this respect, the more they will profit in the future.

GELITA’s 2018 Sustainability Report, published earlier this year, includes some impressive figures as the company continues to deal with important environmental issues: since 2016, considerable reductions in energy input (14.04%), hazardous waste (33.09%), fresh water input (4.93%) and air emissions have been achieved. In particular, as well as committing to using fewer and fewer fossil fuels, GELITA has reduced its carbon dioxide output per ton of product by almost 15%. The temperature rise caused by the greenhouse effect endangers the livelihood of everyone on Earth and is often cited as the main cause of climate change.

As noted in the report, GELITA “considers reducing energy consumption and thus improving our CO₂ balance to be at the core of our sustainability vision and one of our most urgent priorities.” With a defined objective of surpassing the legal requirements for environmentally friendly manufacturing, we are also aiming to be ISO 14001 compliant by the end of 2020. With three more sites being certified last year, we’re confident that we can achieve that goal. At the same time, an energy management system complying with ISO 50001 has been introduced at all our German locations. And that’s not all; we’re also embracing policies such as being a responsible employer, exploiting digitization and committing to greater animal welfare.

Statistics repeatedly show that companies that innovate are more successful than those that don’t. Whether it’s to meet current consumer needs, reach new markets, exploit niche opportunities, improve overall profitability or just stay ahead of the competition, it’s mission critical to focus on adapting, improving, modifying or developing completely new products. And with GELITA’s collagen solutions, you can rest assured that your ingredients will be responsibly sourced, processed and delivered with both your end product and the environment in mind.

To the read the full report and find out more about how GELITA is tackling climate change, click here.