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Phoenix Contact develops technologies for device manufacturers for a better future. And a better future must be sustainable. Climate protection and environmental emissions such as carbon dioxide are therefore central starting points of our sustainability strategy. This is why we are switching an initial range of products over to bio-based plastic.
“Together, we are creating a sustainable world based on our passion for technology and innovation”. This is how we at Phoenix Contact define our corporate purpose to drive our daily work in device connection technology. The conservation of resources and the protection of the environment and climate must form the foundation for thinking and acting throughout society. Join us in developing our sustainable actions together and challenging established behaviors. Through dialog, we are able to master the challenges on the way to a sustainable world.
Your advantages
The carbon footprint is significantly reduced.
Future-proofing your applications by using bio-based device connection technology
The use of renewable raw materials conserves valuable, finite resources.
Promoting the recycling loop for plastics by using material with plastic waste content
The proven quality level is also maintained through the use of bio-based plastics.
When the specification is the same, there is no need for renewed design-in for the more sustainable product variants.
Only those companies that pursue a business model directed toward sustainability will be economically successful in the long term.
Torsten Janwlecke, Chief Operating Officer and President Business Area Device Connectors at Phoenix Contact
PCB terminal blocks, connectors, and electronics housings made of bio-based plastics
Phoenix Contact is focusing on a successive change towards greater sustainability in its products. Even now, an increasing number of solutions are being introduced to the Phoenix Contact product range that have significantly improved carbon footprints compared to their conventionally manufactured product series, due to process optimization and the use of more sustainable materials. For example, the first solutions with optimized sustainability are already available in the PCB terminal block, connector, and electronics housing product categories. This is achieved, for example, through the use of bio-based plastics developed on the basis of the castor bean plant.
Product Manager Timur Uzunlar demonstrates in the video what the bio-based plastic, made from castor seeds and used in the MKDS 3 PCB terminal block, looks like.
Castor bean plants for a lower carbon footprint
The oil of the castor bean plant is the basis for carbon-reducing plastics. Ecologically, this crop brings a number of advantages, because it does not conflict with the cultivation of food or animal feed. In particular, castor beans can grow in dry areas that are not suitable for other types of agriculture and, accordingly, do not require additional land. There is no need for fertilization or irrigation. Significant carbon savings can be achieved in plastic-based components by using this sustainable resource.
View of the product balance
The ecological footprint of the products must be determined so that a greater level of sustainability can be realized throughout entire product portfolio. Phoenix Contact does this by creating so-called product environmental footprints (PEFs).
A PEF, also known as a life cycle assessment (LCA), is a compilation and assessment of input and output flows as well as potential environmental impacts, for example, the carbon emissions of a product over its entire life cycle. This includes development, material procurement, manufacturing, distribution, usage, and end-of-life considerations. Only with this precise background knowledge can significant improvements be presented.
Three examples of sustainability at Phoenix Contact
Sustainability Manager Lara Meyer explains at SPS 2023 in Nuremberg, Germany, how Phoenix Contact is committed to greater sustainability: In addition to improving logistics through the use of e-trucks and outlining the environmental footprint of our products on our website, our sustainability efforts also include the production of the first bio-based products from castor seeds to reduce CO₂.
First bio-based products for device connection technology
We have embarked on a journey to achieve carbon savings through bio-based products for a better future. A bio-based item is shown here as an example for the product families involved.
ICS 20 series electronics housing
MKDS 3 PCB terminal block
RJ45 connectors (version 6)
Free samples
Try out bio-based products
Would you like to try out our first bio-based PCB terminal blocks, connectors, and electronics housings? – Order your free personal samples and find out about the added value of these Phoenix Contact solutions.
We use plastics that are manufactured using renewable raw materials. This results in products that emit significantly less carbon dioxide into the environment.
By using bio-based plastics, we can significantly reduce the carbon emissions of our items. In individual cases, this depends on the product in question.
Yes. The bio-based plastics we use are high-quality thermoplastics. We ensure that all technical and approval requirements are met in the same way as with conventionally produced plastics.
No. Not all products have yet been switched over to bio-based plastic. Rather, we want to identify needs and priorities together with our customers.
This product list shows you the first bio-based items from the PCB terminal block, connector, and electronics housing categories.
Join us in talking about a more sustainable future.
We would like you to join us on the journey to a more sustainable future. We look forward to your opinions, suggestions, and questions about our activities on bio-based plastic products.
