Energy Audit

The fact that the MANN & SCHRÖDER COSMETICS GROUP underwent inspections this year to be certified as conforming to the internationally recognised standards for energy management (DIN EN ISO 50001) shows what a high priority the company places on energy-efficient production. The aim of the certification is to demonstrate the continuous improvement in the performance of the company in relation to energy.

“It is essential for us as a manufacturing company to record energy data in order to increase our energy efficiency in the long term,” said Matthias Wörner, Head of Technology and Organisation at MANN & SCHRÖDER COSMETICS.“Only if we have detailed information on the consumption of each piece of machinery can we identify potential savings and adopt a more sustainable approach.” This is why M&S COSMETICS decided to introduce the energy management system according to the new standard and has been certified as conforming to DIN EN ISO 50001:2018 since the end of October 2019.

In order to obtain certification, the company had to define energy targets and introduce an action plan to meet these targets. It also had to record energy performance indicators, systematically logging all its consumption levels of energy from electricity, heat, gas and oil right through to compressed air. The individual pieces of equipment were fitted with meters in order to obtain detailed information on how much energy is consumed by each unit. This makes it possible to analyse the energy consumption in detail for each production line and to take the figures as a basis for measures designed to cut the levels of use. “Our long-term goal is to adopt more sustainable practices and reduce energy costs,” explained Matthias Wörner.

Ways of saving energy in everyday office routines were also highlighted in the course of the certification process and translated into a code of practice. By following these rules, each and every employee can play an active part in achieving the energy targets. If employees see further opportunities to save resources, they can pass their observations on to the energy team which has been specially formed with experts from the production, technology and quality management sections. “Only by liaising closely with all employees can we identify room for improvement and set further targets,” said Christoph Bohnsack, Head of Quality Control and Quality Management.

The energy management certificate is valid for three years. There is an annual review, however, during which the M&S COSMETICS GROUP is required to demonstrate that it is achieving the annual energy targets and that it has an effective energy management system in place. After three years, there is an audit for the renewal of the certification.