ESG

ESG at the heart of our business model

Committed to a more sustainable world

For CF group, sustainability means responsible action on company’s side, with the aim of reconciling the interests of society and the environment. In the spirit of continuous improvement, we try to find comprehensive solutions in all areas of the company that are resource efficient and sustainable. One important aspect is energy consumption and the production of our own electricity. But we are also focusing on a more sustainable and energy-efficient product portfolio. The involvement of our employees is essential to anchor sustainable action within the group. Going forward, we want to further intensify and support this approach so that each of us can actively make a contribution in the long term.

 

 

 

“Although the swimming pool market is expected to continue to grow, I consider the preservation of drinking water, an increasingly scarce resource, to be a priority for our company.“

Cedrik Mayer-Klenk, CEO of CF group

 

 

 

Our 7 areas of CSR

CF group has formalised its CSR commitments around 7 key areas: 

  • Energy
  • Mobility
  • Sustainability of our products
  • Recycling and reconditioning
  • Partnerships
  • Supply chain
  • Health and wellbeing of our teams

Energy

Our factories and buildings are moving towards greater self-sufficiency. We are heavily investing in solar power to harness more green energy. Since 2021, we have installed 940 solar panels at our headquarters, covering 50% of our energy consumption. Two other sites (Köngen and Nidderau in Germany) will be equipped with photovoltaic panels during 2023.

Mobility

Since 2021, the group is constantly converting its entire fleet to hybrid or electric vehicles. Charging stations have been installed at our headquarters in Wendlingen and are powered by our photovoltaic panels. Our French site in Brécé has also been equipped with charging stations. This system will eventually be extended to all our sites.

We also encourage commuting by bicycle by covering part of the cost of bicycle or electric bike rental by our employees. This is not only good for the environment, but also for the health of our staff.

Sustainability
of our products

We have been working for many years to make our products more sustainable and less CO2 intensive, and we must continue this commitment. Here are some examples:

  • Intelligent control. For example, with electrolysis or our low energy pool concept, which we were the first to develop back in 2012.
  • Natural pools. This type of pool requires very few or no chemicals and stands out from an economic and ecological point of view.
  • Brine pools. After 1 ½ years of research and development and more than 500 analyses, we have succeeded in developing an ultra-compact and high-performance filtration system for brine pools. We further reduce the use of chlorine using higher salt concentrations than in conventional electrolysis.
  • Natural ingredients. 80% of our wellness products are based on natural ingredients: fragrances, cosmetics and essential oils for spas.
  • Product efficiency. Our largest pumps use 65% less electricity than they did 10 years ago.

Recycling
and reconditioning

We are using more and more recycled materials. This applies to our pond liners, as well as to our packaging including all bottles and boxes we use on our production sites. We recycle our industrial cutoffs and carry out a 5-stream sorting process.

We are committed to creating products that stand the test of time. All of our products have a 1 to 5-year warranty and almost all of the electrical systems in our products are repairable.

Partnerships

We ensure that we share the same work ethic with our partners. That is why we sign a code of conduct with our suppliers and partners. Compliance with this charter is frequently verified through our audits.

 

 

 

 

Supply chain

With over 150 container deliveries in 2021, our CO2 emissions from road transport are high. By using electric locomotives instead of trucks, we reduced our carbon footprint by 98 tonnes of CO2. As a first step, we have started to do this for the transport of some containers from Hamburg to different locations, and we are committed to further reducing the impact of our supply chain.

Health and well-being
of our teams

We are attentive to the well-being of our teams:

  • Company canteens offering balanced meals at low cost
  • Sports area