Peters: Eco-Angel for World Environment Day

Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

On World Environment Day Saturday 5 June, Peters points to sustainable measures that the Kempen-based company has implemented over the last years. "As a chemical company with global orientation, we have a special responsibility to show our colours on World Environment Day and commit ourselves unreservedly to nature, climate protection and resource-saving work," says Peters CEO Ralf Schwartz.

Schwartz points above all to the innovative ELPEGUARD® conformal coating system Twin-Cure®, for which Peters has scored lots of eco-points. These conformal coatings are free from solvents, which means not polluting the environment. Founded 51 years ago, the Peters family business has now developed the ELPEGUARD® thick-film coating Twin-Cure® DSL 1602 FLZ/400 for fast UV LED curing in its research laboratories in Kempen.

The coatings of the ELPEGUARD® Twin-Cure® family are mainly used in the automotive industry. Somewhat delayed due to the pandemic, the environmentally friendly conformal coatings are about to be recognised on world markets from the USA to China, as Peters can see from rising sales figures. Curing of the ink with UV LED modules is more energy-efficient than processing with conventional mercury vapour lamps.

The system as mentioned before is not the only one in the portfolio of Peters' environmentally friendly products. Among the particularly environmentally friendly conformal coatings made in Germany, there is also the aqueous ELPEGUARD® SL 1305 AQ, the fast UV-curing ELPEGUARD® thick-film coating Twin-Cure® DSL 1600 E-FLZ as well as the high temperature-resistant, solvent-free silicone thick-film coatings of the series ELPEGUARD® DSL 1700 FLZ.

However, Peters does not only fulfil its ecological responsibilities when manufacturing chemical products. Climate-friendly action is also evident in the use of energy sources. For example, solar panels on the roof of the warehouse at Hooghe Weg 13 in Kempen provide electricity from the power of the sun. The photovoltaic system installed at the end of 2007 having an output of 70 kWp has meanwhile saved more than 500 tonnes of CO?.

Hybrid - intelligent solution for the vehicle fleet

In addition, the company vehicle fleet is now being successively converted to hybrid vehicles. In this way, Peters is supporting the trend towards e-technology. Through a return system for plastic packaging, Peters is regularly awarded a climate protection certificate. For the past year alone, this resulted in a calculated saving of almost 4000 kilograms of greenhouse gas. This saving is equivalent to the CO2 emissions that would be bound by 279 trees in Europe. 

Furthermore, within a "Company Suggestion Scheme", Peters awards prizes for the best ideas submitted by employees regarding environmental consciousness for their work. Through this scheme, everything is put to the test. For example, suggestions from the staff help to avoid a lot of microplastic. "It is in line with our mission statement that good ideas are rewarded and implemented," emphasises Ralf Schwartz.