Transparent information on carbon footprints in the online shop facilitates customer CO2 accounting

How much CO2 is released into the atmosphere as a result of a plastic bearing’s production? For the first time, igus, the motion plastics specialist, is publishing precise CO2 footprints for a large number of its lubrication-free, maintenance-free iglidur polymer plain bearings. Users can use these values as Scope 3 emissions in CO2 accounting for climate-neutral products.

In times of climate change, both manufacturers and their customers are increasingly faced with the question of how sustainable the products they manufacture and use are. One focus is on CO2 emissions. Companies account for, reduce and offset so-called Scope 1 emissions, which arise locally, e.g. from operating delivery vans and machinery. The same applies to Scope 2 emissions, which are indirect emissions from purchased energy, and Scope 3 emissions those generated by suppliers. “However, accounting across company boundaries is often a real challenge – when machines are assembled from hundreds of components from different manufacturers, for example,” says Stefan Loockmann-Rittich, Head of Business Unit iglidur Plain Bearings at igus. “We are starting to make this task easier for customers by displaying the CO2 footprints for 16 materials from the iglidur plain bearing series in the online shop. Users can see at a glance how much carbon dioxide emissions the production of a plastic bearing entails.”

Ambitious goal: production at igus is to become CO2-neutral by 2025

But igus is striving for transparency not only in terms of environmental offsetting, but also for continuous CO2 reduction in their own production. In 2021, the company managed to reduce CO2 emissions by 31.2% from the previous year’s level – primarily by switching to green electricity and climate-neutral gas. The Cologne-based motion plastics specialist is gradually investing in injection-moulding machines that require 40% less energy than older models. The ambitious goal: to produce components made of high-performance plastic in a CO2-neutral manner by 2025.

Plastic instead of metal: more than 250,000 customers trust iglidur

The iglidur plain bearing series is one of the most firmly established igus products. More than 250,000 companies worldwide rely on plastic bearings from Cologne – including carmakers, bicycle manufacturers, the aviation industry and mechanical engineering companies. By switching from classic metal to polymer bearings, they are all improving their products’ life cycle assessment. There are several reasons for this. One is that plastic plain bearings weigh only a fraction of what their metal counterparts do. This reduces the required drive energy. Another is that users can dispense with lubricants. This is due to the fact that microscopically small solid lubricants are integrated into iglidur materials. They are released during use and allow for low-friction, environmentally friendly dry operation. Says Loockmann-Rittich, “Our plain bearings, for example, are available for just 20 cents – right from stock. This allows customers to quickly reduce their maintenance costs, increase service life and eliminate additional lubricants. It is a big win for your wallet and the environment.”