Resource efficiency

The amount of energy used for producing water traps has constantly decreased, mainly due to investments in modern, more efficient machinery. In 2018, we needed 2.85 kWh of electricity for each kilogram of product we produced. After just three years in 2021, we had already lowered that amount to 2.35 kWh. In the future, energy efficiency will continue to improve as we introduce new machines that are increasingly energy-efficient.

In 2020, we installed a heat pump in our factory in Nykarleby, Finland, which makes use of the surplus energy generated during production. The recovered heat is used to heat the production building, annually saving an equivalent of 745 MWh in district heating. This means we use 70% less district heating than before.

We strive for a production process that generates as little waste as possible. One step in this effort is the use of online granulation, which is installed at most injection molding machines in our factory. In practice, this means that excess plastic from production is immediately shredded and recycled back into the same process.

The scrap rate is a measure for how big a part of the products that end up as waste in production. We are constantly aiming for a stable production with a minimum of disorders, as this lowers the scrap rate. However, it is not sustainable to decrease the scrap rate at the expense of product quality.

Prevex’s scrap rate has increased in recent years, mainly due to an improved injection molding technique that melts the sealing to the water trap. This production method means tighter seals and less risk for leakage, but it also means that production waste cannot be recycled as easily. In the future, this problem can be solved through better recycling processes at our partners.