Home appliance sector turns to green stainless steel
In a first for Switzerland , a home appliance manufacturer has selected ‘ green ’ stainless steel for dishwasher parts to support its climate targets .
By Joanne McIntyre , Stainless Steel World
Outokumpu is partnering with V-ZUG , a Swiss premium home appliance producer , to agree on the deliveries of the world ’ s first towards-zero stainless steel . Outokumpu Circle Green ® , with up to 93 % lower carbon footprint than the industry average *, will be used to produce parts of the V-ZUG dishwasher inner part . It will be the first Swiss home appliance company to use Outokumpu Circle Green in its production . The collaboration supports the ambitious climate targets of both companies and accelerates the green transition in the home appliance sector .
A low-carbon future “ A low-carbon future is dependent on sustainable stainless steel and other circular solutions . Outokumpu is at the forefront of decarbonising the stainless steel industry and is already supporting customers to reduce their emissions by over 10 million tonnes every year . By transitioning and investing in more sustainable technologies and materials today , companies can significantly mitigate the effects of climate change . Our solution , Circle Green , enables green transition for various industries . We are proud to join forces with V-ZUG , who is also leading the way towards a low-emission and more circular future ”, says Niklas Wass , Executive Vice President for Stainless Europe at Outokumpu . V-ZUG produces its appliances in Switzerland , but the company has subsidiaries throughout the EU , UK , China , Hong Kong , Singapore , and Australia , with distribution partners around the world . Circle Green , produced mainly from recycled materials , comes from Outokumpu ’ s mill in Tornio , Finland , which is among the largest material recycling centers in Europe . From Tornio the coils are then distributed to Germany for further processing and then to Zug in Switzerland . There , in the heart of Switzerland , V-ZUG develops and manufactures most of its products . “ At V-ZUG , we don ’ t see sustainability as a trend , we see it as a necessity . For us , making an energy-efficient appliance is one very important aspect of sustainability . However , there is much more to consider throughout the full life cycle of the appliance – from procurement , development , and manufacturing to service , re-use , and recycling . Our CO 2 intensity , 1.8 kg CO 2 e per tonne of stainless steel , is already far below the industry average , and with Circle Green the potential is to go down to 0.5 ,” says Marcel Niederberger , Head of Sustainability at V-ZUG AG .
Massive emission reduction potential Circle Green production was the first of its kind globally , as no other stainless steel manufacturer has been able to produce stainless steel with such low emission levels when taking into account all of the greenhouse gas emissions from raw material extraction through the whole production chain . To produce Circle Green , which has up to 93 % lower carbon footprint , Outokumpu uses 100 % low-carbon electricity , lowcarbon raw materials such as recycled steel , and reinvented production processes . *) Global average CO 2 emissions ( 2023 ): 7 kg CO 2 e per kg of stainless steel ( Outokumpu ’ s calculation based on data provided by CRU and worldstainless ). Outokumpu Circle Green CO 2 emissions : down to 0.5 kg CO 2 e per kg of stainless steel .
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