April is Earth Month, a special weeks-long occasion that encourages people around the globe to take time to celebrate and take action to protect this one amazing planet we all call home—culminating in Earth Day on the 22nd. In honor of the observance, we’re sharing a few highlights from the Salus 2021 Sustainability Report.
Of course, it’s important to care for our planet year-round. We’re proud to say that to Salus, maker of Floradix®, every month is Earth Month, with environmental impact considered every step of the way in creating your supplements—from ingredient sourcing and product formulation to production and shipping operations—and in every company facility. Salus’ commitment to sustainability is even evident in site parking lots, which boast permeable surfaces. In fact, the Salus grounds as a whole are designed to be eco-friendly, and feature everything from green roofs to meadows planted with fruit trees.
In 2020/2021, Salus:
Celebrated 25 Years of EMAS
In 1995, the European Union introduced a system called EMAS (Eco-Management and Audit Scheme) as a tool to help European companies integrate environmental protection into their business models, on a voluntary basis, and to continuously and transparently boost their environmental performance.
Salus is located in Bruckmühl, Germany, and the company adopted EMAS almost right from the start—25 years ago in 1996. Since then, Salus has reduced emissions from power generation at company sites by 100%, increased the share of organic raw materials going into products by 30%, and the list goes on.
Went Climate Neutral, Receiving the PRIMAKLIMA Seal
For the last two years, Salus production has been climate neutral, which means the company now achieves net zero greenhouse gas emissions. In 2020, the Bruckmühl site where Floradix products are produced—along with another Salus site in Magstadt—was awarded the “Climate-Neutral Site” seal from the climate protection nonprofit organization PRIMAKLIMA.How does Salus achieve this? An approach of avoid, reduce, offset. The company generates its own electricity, harnessing water and solar power. In fact, in 2020, Salus expanded the photovoltaic (PV) capacity at the Bruckmühl facility by 57 kWp. Waste heat from production is used for heating purposes. The company fleet features two electric vehicles and one hybrid vehicle powered with electricity produced ecologically at Salus sites. Though, that’s not all. And, only high-value emission reduction certificates are used to offset remaining emissions.
Set Up an Interdisciplinary Packaging Team
This new team will help boost Salus’ efforts to produce as little waste as possible from packaging. Team members will be tasked with thoroughly screening and assessing which improvements would help make Salus packaging even more eco-friendly. The company currently uses glass bottles for all Floradix liquid supplements, as glass offers optimum protection and can be recycled multiple times.
A Sustainable Future
Again, there’s always more to be done to protect our environment, and Salus has already mapped out a plan for the company's environmental program for 2021-2024. Over these next few years at the Floradix production site, Salus plans to:• Set up a biomass heating plant as a renewable heat supply
• Introduce a mobile shelving system in the herb warehouse to increase storage capacity
• Optimize bike racks for employees to encourage less driving
• Begin cultivating different wild plant varieties to protect biodiversity
• Refurbish facility flooring with carpeting made from recycled fishing nets to preserve resources
We can't wait to share much more with you about our manufacturer's strong commitment to the environment. For now, we hope you'll read the full 2021 Salus Sustainability Report and visit our website to learn more about Salus’ Environmental Guidelines.
TELL US: How are you celebrating Earth Month? What do you do for Earth Day or every day to help protect the planet?