Natural knowlEDGE

RAUKANTEX eco.protect

Taking responsibility for the future of the next generations is a key part of REHAU's DNA. Sustainability is therefore an integral component of the corporate strategy – and RAUKANTEX is no exception.

RAUKANTEX edgebands are one of the oldest product ranges at REHAU and the backbone of our Furniture Solutions product. RAUKANTEX revolves around sustainability, not only in terms of its production but also among our employees when it comes to energy, purchasing and packaging. Our goal: to continuously increase the use of recycled material and non-fossil-based polymers and reduce CO2 emissions.

Our absolute innovations: the first REHAU edgeband with ISCC PLUS certification and the new edgeband return concept.

Since April 2024, the entire RAUKANTEX product range made of polypropylene (PP) is compliant to the Nordic Swan Ecolabel.

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Products

Sustainable and with 100% perfect design – at REHAU, these aren’t mutually exclusive

RAUKANTEX eco

With RAUKANTEX eco, we have developed an edgeband that is made of 50% post-industrial recycled materials and in no way falls short of a classic PP edge in terms of design, quality and processing.

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RAUKANTEX evo

For our second sustainable RAUKANTEX product line, we rely on polymers made from non-fossil primary raw materials. That means: the PP base material of the edgeband does not require the use of additional crude oil.

RAUKANTEX evo is our first edgeband on the market with ISCC PLUS certification. Using the mass balance procedure, we can guarantee to our customers that we meet the requirements from the primary raw material all the way to the end product, the edgeband.

RAUKANTEX evo can be processed like a "standard PP edgeband" and has the same quality characteristics. And it matches the surface just as perfectly as our existing RAUKANTEX edgebands. Here as well, the range of applications is virtually limitless.

Properties of RAUKANTEX eco & evo:

Available as a classic adhesion promoter edgeband or with a polymer functional layer for laser production
Available for standard paints, noble matt paints and mirror glass
Decor lines: RAUKANTEX color, RAUKANTEX decor, RAUKANTEX designo
Available to order for all types of embossing
Simple processing without changing machine parameters
Perfect design
Long lifespan
100% color and decor match
Dimension range: 0.4 mm to 3.0 mm / 16 mm to 104 mm

RAUKANTEX pro

For our RAUKANTEX pro product line, we rely on the more ecologically compatible polypropylene polymer and a 100% adhesive-free functional layer. This has allowed us to save large amounts of adhesive over the years.

Our special functional layers are adapted for this use. In that way, for example, laser processing requires about 25% less laser energy.

Invisible, yet indispensable

RAUKANTEX basic edge

Today, furniture is built mainly with particle and MDF boards. These materials consume a large proportion of resources (e.g. wood or transport). The environmentally friendly alternative is lightweight construction. This method uses boards with honeycomb cores which are significantly lighter and more resource friendly. The RAUKANTEX basis edge is a functional edgeband specifically designed for manufacturing such lightweight applications.

The functional edgeband is inserted in the board underneath the actual decor edgeband and stabilises the thin top layers of the honeycomb in the radius area. RAUKANTEX basic edge is made of 100% production waste, so-called recyclate.

Employees

We move people and our employees move REHAU: this has been our guiding principle for decades. It lets us create an appreciative working environment for all employees at all of our locations that is free from low wages in production, exploitation and child labour (Supplier Code of Conduct). Whenever possible, we take our employees’ personal circumstances into account.

We provide attractive remuneration at all locations and promote diversity and cultural variety.

We also set an example when it comes to inclusion, e.g. by participating in regional and national campaigns to promote prospects and opportunities for people with disabilities in their direct working environment.

Watch the film “Du kannst WIR”.

Energy

We are actively reducing our use of energy and resources as much as possible and continuously invest in modern technologies and plants. Our consumption of natural gas, power and water is controlled with modern monitoring systems. But that’s not all: with the aid of cross-plant monitoring for detailed observation at the production line level using modern sensor technology, we were able to lower our power consumption by 17% (kWh/kg) in 2018 compared to 2009.

Our goal: to exploit all our savings potential and achieve _CO2 neutrality. We ensure that our plants comply with the latest international standards. For instance, our plants in Visbek, Rehau and Tortosa are ISO 50001 certified and even today, our entire European edgeband production runs on 100% climate-neutral power.

Production

Apart from our endeavours to continuously increase the proportion of recycled regrind material and post-industrial recyclate in our production areas, we also strive to eliminate pollutants from our products as much as possible. For example, we use no pigments which contain lead and have largely omitted compounds containing chlorine in adhesion promoters and printing inks.

We process and recycle production waste whenever possible (ISO 14001-certified environmental management system). High sustainability standards apply to us and our suppliers (Supplier Code of Conduct). We buy certified raw materials, both at product and packaging level.

Purchasing

Together with our purchasing company Meraxis, we constantly strive to find and secure stable, permanent supply sources. With that, we want to continue to expand the portion of our product lines that contain a high percentage of recycled content. The ultimate results are lightweight components made of recycled materials.

Packaging solutions

Wherever possible, we use sustainable packaging or packaging made from recycled materials. We work with partners who also follow the principle of ‘reduce - reuse - recycle’. Because one thing is true: when it comes to packaging, we believe less is more. This is also underlined for our suppliers in our Supplier Code of Conduct. With our customers, we look for suitable, individual and sustainable packaging solutions. For the REHAU Group, 65% of its packaging was already made from sustainable materials in 2019.
For example, Euro pallets are largely used in our plants and the wooden boards used are already declared as sustainable. In addition, films and strapping made from up to 100% recycled material are also used in some areas.

"Furniture fronts for the next generation"

Interview with Johan Engström, Business Development Manager, Spaljisten

The Spaljisten company manufactures finished fronts for bedroom, kitchen and living room furniture. With their sustainable kitchen front, the Swedes are a driving force in their markets and lead the way in resource-conserving production methods. An integral part of the project is the "RAUKANTEX eco" edgeband from REHAU, which consists of 50% post-industrial recycled material, as Business Development Manager Johan Engström reports in an interview with HK.

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Good product design as starting point for sustainability and a circular economy

Interview with VARIO BüroEinrichtungen GmbH & Co. KG

150 years of VARIO BüroEinrichtungen. Based in the Taunus mountains in Germany, the company stands for high-quality desk systems, meeting and conference tables, cabinets, containers, caddies and partition screen systems, now with a workforce around 100 strong. Combining clarity and minimalism with high quality and functionality, VARIO products stand out with a high degree of customisation and an environmentally compatible manufacturing process. We spoke to Managing Director Anton Flechtner about his views on the future of the office, remote working and the huge opportunities for SMEs to get ahead when it comes to sustainability and climate neutrality.

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Laser-quality sustainable edgeband solutions play an important role in recycling.

Interview with meta Trennwandanlagen GmbH & Co. KG

Meta has been a household name in Germany in the production of WC cubicles and partition wall systems for 50 years. The company is based in Rengsdorf in the district of Neuwied and produces tailor-made amenities for public facilities, e.g. in hotels or the leisure sector. Dr Harald Werner, Managing Director, provides an insight into this special interior design sector and tells us why he believes there will be no alternative to sustainable solutions in future.

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Green kitchen(s) for the heart AND an ecological future

Interview with Rotpunkt Küchen

What was founded in 1930 as a box factory by Heinrich Rabe and Wilhelm Meyer under the name "Rabe & Meyer" is now an internationally active manufacturer of kitchen and home furniture in the premium segment. Rotpunkt Küchen is growing - not least thanks to trade relations all over the world. Andreas Wagner, Managing Director of Rotpunkt Küchen since 2013, provides insights into how it is possible to manufacture kitchens and home furniture efficiently and successfully in Germany, even under difficult market conditions. He also tells us why sustainable solutions are an important part of this success.

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Sustainable kitchen solutions in Scandinavia

Interview with TCM Group

The TCM Group is Scandinavia’s third largest kitchen manufacturer, with its headquarters in Denmark and sells in approximately 140 stores across Scandinavia. The TCM Group pursues a multi-brand strategy, are behind the brands Svane Køkkenet, Tvis Køkken, Nettoline and a private label, but also in the ecommerce kitchen sector. The product range includes kitchen, bathroom and storage solutions, designed and produced in Denmark. Manufacturing is carried out in-house and on demand. Approximately 90 percent of the raw materials used in production are manufactured within Europe, using a local supply chain. We spoke to Sustainability Manager Malene Karstoft about the strategy and implementation of sustainability projects within the TCM Group.

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Let’s close the resource cycle

Edgeband recycling concept

Unused edgebands that can no longer be used for production repeatedly appear on the market as a result of incorrect orders, left-over components or changes to collections. This results in these edgbands being scrapped. But we can and will change this!

We assume responsibility for unused edgebands and ensure they are appropriately recycled.

Our primary goal: to prevent thermal recycling and disposal!

Your benefits:

You don’t incur any disposal costs

We bear the costs of transport and processing.

You reduce your storage costs and create space in your logistics facilities

You make an active contribution to reducing CO2 emissions and saving resources

You are already setting the course today for the polymer-specific recycling requirements of the future European Green Deal (ban on thermal recycling, increase in recycling rate, mandatory use of recycled material in production)

Our primary goal: to prevent thermal recycling and disposal!

Your benefits:

You don’t incur any disposal costs

We bear the costs of transport and processing.

You reduce your storage costs and create space in your logistics facilities

You make an active contribution to reducing CO2 emissions and saving resources

Sustainability is a marathon, not a sprint.

Unused edgeband stocks only tell a part of the story. A total of up to 20% of left-over material and waste comes from production.

That is why we have been working intensively with pilot customers since 2017 to recycle edgeband production waste, such as left-over edgebands, trimming waste and scraper blades.

Our goal:

A reliable, tried and tested recycling solution for edgeband production.

Contact

Start request!

German Design Award:
RAUKANTEX eco and evo impress the jury!

Sustainability plays a central role at REHAU and in its edgeband product range. The two product developments RAUKANTEX eco and evo in particular impressed the expert jury of the German Design Award. Both product lines were awarded in the ‘Excellent Product Design – Eco Design’ category.

Videos

Certificates

26.08.2024 Certificate ISCC PLUS (Rehau/Converter)

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(pdf, 848 KB)

26.08.2024 Certificate ISCC PLUS (Rehau/Trader)

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(pdf, 477 KB)