The ECO commitment
"Mother Earth is calling..."
The steps towards a more sustainable development model involve all aspects of society. The Teka Group takes a sincere and proactive approach to ecologic responsibility.
Teka is committed to creating sustainable values for the environment in which we operate. We want to help build a fairer, healthier and more prosperous community for both present and future generations.
Our corporate management strategy is based on a principle of harmonising economic success and social prosperity with environmental values.
The TECOS plan
"If it’s not planned, it does not exist."
From 2002 onwards, Teka has implemented a green line strategy to promote a healthy environmental attitude throughout the organisation. This process has involved all value added activities in all our production processes and systems.
These initiatives have come together to form the TECOS plan (Teka Environmental Commitment & Sustainability).
TECOS defines the systems:
- To promote the implementation of good / sound environmental practices by all the departments involved in the organization’s processes and activities.
- To minimise or eradicate environmentally unfriendly industrial processes.
- To collaborate in the promotion and education of environmental initiatives.
The TECOS commitment is not only an internal policy, as it extends to end-users, partners and suppliers alike.
The protocol
"The circle of live; define, implement, improve!"
Material supply
Teka`s core businesses revolve around stainless steel, which is 100% recyclable. Always trying to reduce the impact of our products and processes on the environment, the R&D department is constantly seeking to use materials that are easy to recover for use again in the future, and trying to avoid where possible the use of materials that cannot be recycled.
Production
Working within ISO 14.001 guidelines, Teka has been able to reduce the energy required to produce each unit by 25%, a global reduction of 30% in water usage while reducing CO2 emissions by 20% compared to the year 2000.
Distribution
Teka has established a new logistic center to concentrate the delivery of the large volume goods , avoiding the inefficient radial net around Spain. New agreements with ports closer to the main factories, together with a logistic rationalisation helped us achieve a reduction of 15% in the cost associated to the movement of goods.
Use
Teka has also been working hard on reducing the amounts of energy used by the appliances themselves. This has led to the production of a new generation of appliances that use less water, less energy and reduce CO2 emissions. In the past these principles had only been applied to premium/high-end products.
Most of the Teka appliances are are now A+ or A++.
Recycling
The recycling system is not only maintained during the production process - which is handled by approved and specialized companies. The same recycling system is guaranteed once the life of the products come to an end, as every product is evaluated in terms of estimated cost of recycling from the outset.
Certification
Our factories work with ISO 14001 Environment Management Systems to provide assurance to management and our customers that they are in control of the organisational processes and activities having an impact on the environment and to assure employees that they are working for an environmentally responsible organisation.
R&D
The green commitment is the first consideration prior to any production process commencing. It must be introduced at the design stage of the product. The engineering of standard products is constantly monitored to assure ecologic improvements and any new product developments are managed by the green line committee.
The objectives
"We need to maintain modest margins to survive and grow - but without cost to the environment!"
Global objectives
- Mitigation of the climate change
- Rationalisation in use of natural resources
- Low impact management for residues and hazardous goods
- To promote the benefits of energy efficiency, renewable energy and green building technologies
- To deliver energy saving technologies to the marketplace faster
- To raise public awareness of renewable energy and energy efficiency.
Industry objectives
- To promote an integrated or "whole build design" approach to new construction. This approach differs from the traditional design/build process because the design considers the interactions of all building components and systems to create a more comfortable building, save energy, and reduce environmental impact.
Teka and the certification standards
ISO 14,001 certification
Teka European factories operate under ISO 14.001 standards. Multi-disciplinary teams from factories already certified are helping our other factories train quality departments to implement these environmental policies and to define the required protocols. The measurement of green ratios (energy and water consumption, CO2 emissions, waste and recycling materials) in the oven, hood, hob and sink factories in Germany and Spain are monitored to define the objectives for other Group's factories.
The EcoTeka
"The way of thinking, the way of doing"
Since one of our goals is the continuous improvement in all aspects of the company, we have been developing different systems to reduce our environmental impact every year.
Latest news
ECOTEKA IN ACTION IN HUNGARY WITH AUTONOM
Teka Hungary are collaborating with a major firm of architects on an Eco House called Autonom House.
Autonom House a self-sufficiency project in Hungary, running with renewable energies this is an apartment home being edified by environmentally friendly materials and built on a 1:1 scale, a fully operational model.
The building features a biosolar heating system with solar energy generation; working in collaboration with a network of solar energy, wind system, rainwater utilisation, composting toilet, flush-free single urinal, environmentally friendly furniture, together with a number of other solutions.
Teka Hungary have given environmentally friendly kitchen appliances to the project, these include Küppersbusch dishwasher IGS 6609.1 which uses only 10 litres water for 14 place setting with Zeolit technolgy (this 10 litre/wash is unique in Hungary), Induction hob, TEKA sink and water sparing tap.
The exhibition is taking place in one of Budapests's busiest parks can be see there and until the end of the year. Teka and Küppersbusch are main sponsors of the project.
The protection of the environment and sustainability have become important issues in Hungary and Teka are proud to be associated with such an excellent project of this type.
Guidance in the choice of ideal domestic appliances
March, 2010 | Teka's absolute commitment towards the protection of the environment has given us the knowledge and experience to be domestic advisors. Our brochures now offer advice to the end-user in choosing the ideal extraction hoods according to the kitchen's size. Likewise, the purpose enhancing the awareness of the energy lost with outside extraction over air recirculation.
Enviromental printing
February, 2010 | Teka has minimised the printing of paper, which is chlorfree paper and recycled paper for internal use. Following the new digital posibilities, most of the current documentation is digital and is available throught the different corporative sites. As an example, this wesite is fully ecological, as no brochure is ever printed to inform how ecological consciencious we are. The following note has also being added to the corporative email:
Before printing my message, be sure it's needed. Protect the environment to create a better place.
More efficient lighting systems
October, 2009 | Energy efficiency, and optimal illumination in the kitchen and cooking zones are of great importance. For that reason, Teka takes maximum care by introducing energy efficient lighting in decorative cooker hoods.Thanks to the newest LED technologies, Teka is replacing traditional lamps with new high performing and energy efficient lighting. Likewise, old traditional lamps are gradually being replaced by energy saving lamps.
Teka has implemented the Directive 2005/32/EC
October, 2009 | This norm outlines the eco-design requirements for household refrigeration appliances. As a consequence all refrigerators not being A or A+ should be removed from the market.
Initiatives with the United States Department of Energy
September, 2009 | The Solar Decathlon Competition is a biannual competition, sponsored by the United States Department of Energy, involving the design and fabrication of an energy efficient home. Twenty teams from universities around the globe are selected to participate in each competition. Kuppersbusch has donated an EKWE320W honeycomb hob alongwith an EEB6800.8M oven for operation within the home. These units were selected for not only their exceptional design but also their energy efficiency. (See the video)
New stand by European directive observance
September, 2009 | The norm, which will come into effect in 2010, determines that any home appliances in the stand-by mode will not waste more than 1w of electricity. Teka has brought this principle forward, by introducing the technology during 2009. Other functions help to save energy, such as the automatic shut down after a period of inactivity.
Innovative projects in accordance with the TECOS plan
June, 2009 | Reverse Osmosis System to re-use the water from our industrials processes, solar water heating system to reduce the dependence of traditional fuel systems to heat the water, new planning tools to reduce the waste of our processes are some of the new projects already active in our plants.
Product energy rating improvement
April, 2009 | Using for example a kitchen equipped with a refrigerator, a freezer, a 60 cm dishwasher and washer-dryer from our 2009 range vs. the same kitchen from our 2005 range will allow the end user to save each year the following: 1,540 litres of water, 264 kw of electricity and thus avoiding the emission of 95.81 kg of CO2 into the atmosphere.
Own induction generation system
February, 2009 | Teka focus the R&D of the hob factories in Germany and Spain to speed up the marketing of the cold energy force, much more efficient and energy saving than any other hob type. Induction is gaining market share as the cost saving advantages have been demonstrated over the years. Studies confirm that the induction is 23 points more energy efficient than the standard vitro ceramic hob.
Comfort temperature internal directive
January, 2009 | Working as a Group, and with factories and offices located in high temperature countries, we have established a directive which suggests that the desired air conditioning temperature at the offices should range 23ºC-25ºC. As a consequence, the dress code has been relaxed during the summer time.
Outsourcing of waste management
December, 2008 | The waste which is a by product of the industrial processes are handled by professional organisations, ECOEMBES for the packaging and ECOLEC for the electronic components. The group have reduced the usage of cardboards, plastic and protective foam by over 20% in the last 2 years.
Regional collaborations with green institutions
October, 2008 | Picos de Europa’s rebeco wildlife preservation, Environmental school (Parque de la naturaleza de Cabarceno), Sponsorhip of not-environmental-aggressive activities (Teka mountaineering and leisure time club), Foro Empresarial de Medio Ambiente de Cantabria
Reduction of cleaning process to save detergent and water
July, 2008 | Exclusive treatment of our stainless steel to achieve fingerprint proof finishing improves the appearance whilst reducing the need for the constant cleaning of appliances. The patented Okötherm clean air system that reduces the need for cleaning of the oven cavity, thanks to the catalytic conversion system that cleans the air in the oven during the cooking process, eliminating greasy deposits in the oven and around the kitchen.
More efficient product concepts
February, 2008 | Teka is leading the way in oven trends away from less practical solutions to improve the energy efficiency. Lifestyle magazines have portrayed the compact concept, smaller cavities in line with new cooking habits and smaller families. The cavity is only smaller in height, but not in width, so all the normal foods and meats will fit into the oven. These cavities, included in the compact and combo models, require less energy to warm up and the energy ongoing requirement is less.
The green line
Teka is committed to explore all ECO possibilities and environmental friendly initiatives. Contact us and let’s follow together the green line.
followthegreenline@teka.com
Teka Group © 2008
Teka Group requires the whole organization to adopt the TECOS plan. The plan itself, requests the implementation of similar procedures by suppliers to the Group. The communication of improvements and goals achieved is considered a motivational feed-back to the system.
