It takes courage to meet challenges head on and plan for the future, concurrently ensuring an enhanced customer experience and helping to support our planet, but V-ZUG is doing just this.
At V-ZUG, sustainability is not just a word but a way of life that permeates every aspect of the business and the way it creates products.
As a highly regarded brand that designs and manufactures household appliances, V-ZUG takes the initiative and makes sustainability central to its ethos.
On a recent visit to Melbourne and Melbourne Design Week, V-ZUG’s Head of Sustainability, Marcel Niederberger, explained just how the Swiss-based company is leading by example and achieving superior outcomes for its clients and the environment. An event was held at the Melbourne studio and the capacity crowd had the opportunity to learn about the ethos of V-ZUG, the company and its products.
V-ZUG is located in Zug, Switzerland, where the manufacturing headquarters are spread across three buildings and employs some 1000 people. At the heart of the company are three ideas – planet, people and profit. Finding balance is key to success – without profit there can be no research, without a healthy planet to supply materials there are no products and people who are secure and healthy make the business successful. It is this philosophy that guides the company and is integral to all that it achieves.
Suggested: V-ZUG makes a statement in Melbourne
Niederberger is the first Head of Sustainability and has been four and a half years in the role. V-ZUG has always included sustainability initiatives in its operations, however, with the creation of the role there is more strength to impact the way that V-ZUG works and creates.
V-ZUG is exploring all aspects of its business through the sustainability lens whether this is to recycle, re-use or re-circle. As a carbon neutral company since 2020, V-ZUG investigates all aspects of processes with transparency and vigour and the outcome is remarkable.
While the circular economy is intrinsic there are many other ways that V-ZUG is implementing sustainability. For example, it invests in a carbon offset program with a long-term vision for re-foresting a large forest in Glen Loch in Scotland through the Ripa Gar Foundation. As a board member of the Foundation, Niederberger is perfectly placed to ensure that the V-ZUG contribution is well managed. V-ZUG also ‘taxes’ itself with a 120 Swiss Franc payment per tonne from any CO2 emissions from the company. The money is reserved in a research fund and helps finance new ways to find solutions to decrease emissions.
Some 15 years ago the company made a plan to transform its production by reducing its footprint by half and doubling capacity. Bringing its workforce together, three vertical factories each five storeys high were constructed side by side. One structure is built from recycled concrete that also stores CO2, another from local timber. Of course, solar panels cover the roofs and heating and cooling is powered by heat from ovens used in the product manufacturing process.
V-ZUG is also investigating the move from gas to hydrogen but this needs to be explored to ensure that all aspects of the process are sustainable.
V-ZUG collaborates with its suppliers and is looking for ways to implement the idea to re-circle. This is where suppliers are asked to make new materials from used, such as polyprolines that are shredded and made into something else. The dismantling of products is also important as there are many components and some can be re-used as their lifespan is long. It’s ideas such as this that make all the difference in creating a sustainable environment.
For V-ZUG’s customers there is the understanding that the company offers longevity, durability and repairability in its products. Innovation is key but so is timeless design. As much as the company embraces sustainability, customers also need to understand what this means and V-ZUG is helping to educate users in the best ways to use products, that in turn will help support a cleaner environment.
While materials and processes are integral to the process of manufacturing, people are at the heart of everything. The business is committed to diversity and inclusivity and education and health and safety are high priorities. At the V-ZUG Academy there is the opportunity for employees to learn and grow and to understand the V-ZUG vision. In fact, the Human Resources and Health and Safety department has been renamed as People and Culture, recognising multi-faceted support for staff.
On every level of processing, manufacturing and managing, V-ZUG is leading the way in sustainability initiatives that frankly are not seen in many companies. It’s heartening and exciting to see how V-ZUG is investing in the future, its people and the planet and hopefully many more companies will learn that sustainability is not just a word but a way for a business to thrive.