The Concept of Responsibility
A Look at the Brückner Group’s Latest Sustainability Report
Anyone who wants to lead global markets today cannot rest on yesterday’s successes. The ability to continuously evolve is the foundation of future-proof companies. The Brückner Group demonstrates how this commitment is put into practice with the publication of its latest sustainability report.
The report is far more than a comprehensive compilation of key figures. At a time when the global economic landscape is changing rapidly, it highlights how we are actively shaping the future of our industry through research, development, and investment. It demonstrates how it is possible to strike a balance between economic strength and environmental responsibility. Sustainability is not merely a regulatory obligation, but the driving force behind technological innovations from which Brückner Group customers worldwide benefit directly.
Planning for Tomorrow
If you want to reduce emissions, you have to start at home. The Brückner Group has set its targets for 2030: a 50 percent reduction in its own emissions and the generation of green electricity to cover more than a quarter of its total energy needs.
Starting this spring, the new building in Oberdorf, Bavaria, will demonstrate what this approach looks like in reality.
The site is a prime example of how modern industrial architecture and consistent climate protection go hand in hand. Installed on the roofs of the new buildings, large-scale photovoltaic systems will generate around 600,000 kilowatt-hours of solar electricity each year
Oberdorf also embraces a forward-looking approach to heating. By combining a modern wood pellet heating system with heat pump technology, the site benefits from a climate-friendly heat supply.
The new building serves as a kind of real-world laboratory for the Group’s own climate strategy, but ultimately it is just one piece of the puzzle in a much larger, global picture. Climate protection measures must be implemented at every single Brückner Group location. To improve the emissions balance, a wide range of projects are being implemented and will be expanded in the future:
- Since 2025, the Brückner Group China’s main site in Suzhou has been powered entirely by certified green electricity from regional solar parks.
- In Switzerland, PackSys Global has increased its use of biogas for heating.
- In Siegsdorf, a new large-scale heat pump will go into operation this year at the Innovation Technology Center, replacing heating oil consumption. At the same time, the solar panels on the parking decks can generate up to half a terawatt of solar energy annually.
- The charging infrastructure for employees is expanding at all locations as vehicle fleets are being electrified. Kiefel in Freilassing is leading the way in this regard and plans to convert its entire fleet to electric vehicles by the end of the year.
Whether planning a new location or modernizing existing facilities, strategic climate protection is, above all, a matter of consistency. Every solar system, every heat pump, and every LED-lit facility contributes to our shared goal of actively supporting climate protection.
When Strategy Becomes Reality
Strategic goals only take effect when they are translated into concrete action. At the Brückner Group, sustainability is not an isolated guiding principle but is inextricably woven into our long-term business strategy.
We are shaping global markets with sustainable solutions. This is our vision, the core statement of our Strategy 2030.
Based on the Group’s key business objectives and a thorough materiality analysis, there are strategic areas of focus on which efforts are concentrated:
- Consistently implement climate protection: Reduce our own emissions at our sites and optimize equipment and processes so that they operate with maximum energy efficiency even during global operations at our customers’ sites.
- Enable the circular economy through technology: Plastic should remain in the cycle as a valuable recyclable material, made possible by product design that facilitates recycling and research into circular business models.
- Attracting and retaining talent: Targeted investment in employee training and continuing education, as well as in occupational safety, health protection, and equal opportunity.
- Practicing responsible corporate governance: Full compliance, strict adherence to human rights throughout the entire supply chain, and sustainable procurement as the foundation of all business relationships.
Since January 2025, the Brückner Group has been a member of the “Alliance to End Plastic Waste.” The alliance plays a crucial role in bringing together key stakeholders from politics, business, finance, science, and civil society, both at the international and local levels. This global network facilitates the exchange of expertise to take meaningful steps and drive systemic change toward a functioning circular economy. As part of this collaboration, the Brückner Group is also fulfilling its responsibility to contribute to the achievement of key environmental targets.
What Counts Is Practical Applicability
Even the best sustainability concepts are of little use if they remain mere theory. The Brückner Group therefore measures the success of its sustainability strategy primarily by one factor: industrial practice at its plants worldwide.
Since packaging, films, and containers place entirely different demands on materials and processing, the specific measures are left to the individual operating companies. United by the common goal of developing new recyclable processes and methods to the point of series production, they are conducting testing and research on key levers.
To keep plastics in the cycle permanently, the production of packaging must be reimagined. And sustainability also means looking beyond traditional plastics whenever it makes ecological sense to do so. A true circular economy does not end with the sale of a new machine; it encompasses the entire life cycle.
Through successful trials at a pilot plant, Brückner Maschinenbau has demonstrated that the production of films containing more than 40 percent recycled polypropylene – for example from solvent-based processes – is technologically feasible.
The aim is to ensure that, by 2027, customers will be able to produce market-ready BO films with at least 35 percent PCR (post-consumer recycled content) on their own lines. At the same time, intensive research is underway into innovative inline coatings that drastically improve ink removal in the subsequent recycling process, as well as into monomaterial structures and extremely thin films to reduce material usage.
PackSys Global is taking a similar approach to reducing material use in the packaging sector. With the development of the shoulderless tube (“NoSho” tube), the company has created a design that enables significant material savings and consistently relies on the use of a single material. In addition to innovative approaches such as a separable plastic-paper tube for single-material disposal, PackSys Global is working toward the ambitious goal of developing fully recyclable tubes for all major markets – from cosmetics and dental care to pharmaceuticals – by 2030.
Kiefel is breaking new technological ground in the field of thermoforming machines and is conducting intensive research into what is known as the “dry fiber” process. This innovative dry-forming technology for natural fiber packaging represents a highly efficient complement to traditional wet-fiber technology and is expected to be ready for series production by 2027 at the latest.
Brückner Servtec focuses on making existing systems ready for the future: by 2030, the annual number of specialized system upgrades that have a positive impact on the circular economy is set to double.
At the same time, the Brückner Group is involved in pioneering, cross-industry initiatives. These include projects such as NEXTLOOPP and Loopcycling, which are dedicated to researching recycled materials for the sensitive food sector as well as optimized PE recycling processes. The Group is also actively participating in the HolyGrail initiative to test digital watermarks for smart, market-ready plastic sorting.
The Brückner Group also backs up its commitment to further development financially: by 2030, the Brückner Group aims to allocate more than 20 percent of its annual research and development expenditures to projects with a clear focus on sustainability. In this way, strategic ambition becomes a measurable, sustainable reality for customers around the world.
Responsibility as a Hallmark
The Brückner Group’s latest sustainability report makes one thing unmistakably clear: sustainability is key to how the Group can secure its future – and that of its partners – for the long term. These principles run consistently through all areas of the business – from the highly efficient solar roof at the new facility in Oberdorf to smart monomaterial solutions in the packaging sector and a commitment to integrity in global business practices.
For customers and partners worldwide, this consistent approach results in a decisive advantage: they gain the assurance of working with a resilient, financially strong, and technologically leading partner. The Brückner Group is setting this course so that its customers can respond flexibly and quickly to the environmental market demands of tomorrow. Sustainability thus becomes a promise to customers and partners: we guarantee stability through responsible action.
Anyone interested can download the Brückner Group’s full sustainability report and accompanying materials here:
