Economic Sustainability
What impact will real-time data and AI tools have on the setting of targets for water and chemical consumption?
WashTec has specified an internal KPI and an internal target for waste reduction. As we are still feeling the effect of the material shortages after the pandemic shutdowns and other crisis-driven supply chain restrictions, we frequently have to accept partial deliveries, which involves more waste than normal. Because of this, we are not yet back to normal operating levels with regard to material quantities in waste management and for this reason we do not yet publish the KPI.
Are there currently any other potential options for WashTec to make its carwash equip- ment use less fresh water?
Projects to minimize fresh water consumption in carwashes are a constant focus at WashTec. An example is a project to reduce fresh water consumption on conveyor tunnel carwashes. Changes with regard to chemicals and spraying systems offer scope for altering equipment components in the medium term so that they use process water instead of fresh water.
We make use in such projects of information from connected systems, which provide us with real-time reporting on consumption data. This information feeds into our product development process.
Can WashTec explain the sales targets for water treatment systems in more detail?
WashTec’s goal is for every suitable car wash on the market to operate with water treatment, provided that the available infrastructure allows it.
When does WashTec expect to disclose targets on its initiatives (water and chemicals)?
As we noted in our Sustainability Report 2022, decisions on the use of water treatment systems or “green wash chemicals” are also subject to regulatory and market-specific influences. WashTec aims to publish robust and realistic targets. With regard to water and washing chemicals, we are currently looking at what parameters we are able to track and influence and how we can specify targets for them.
What caused the delay in announcing the relevant targets (water and chemicals)?
To specify targets for water consumption in the operation of our equipment, we need a re- liable data basis that also provides us the necessary data from equipment already in the field. This is made possible by data links to our systems on customer premises. Of course, any such data collection must always take place with the user’s consent. Regarding the usage of green washing chemicals, we first need a comprehensive data basis that includes all information on the use of biogenic ingredients.
Does WashTec have information on the water efficiency of its systems compared to those of competitors? If yes, how does WashTec compare?
We regard our systems as the benchmark in this regard and want to set the standard rat- her than follow the competition. We have equipped a number of systems in the field with advanced sensor technology and want to determine efficiency on the basis of actual rat- her than theoretical performance. Using IoT, we can retrieve and analyze data from the cloud. Based on incoming customer requests for tenders, we can see that all competitors are in roughly the same range.
Does WashTec plan to extend its take-back initiatives for hazardous waste to North Ame- rican and Asian countries?
WashTec looks at take-back options for each market separately. Most customers in the USA keep the canisters and have them refilled. We do not sell wash chemicals in China.
When does WashTec intend to set a target for the use of sustainable materials, based on a status quo analysis?
The materials used for our carwash equipment are highly recyclable (over 90%). There is hardly any room for improvement here. With regard to wash chemicals, we focus on bio- degradability, environmental compatibility and non-toxicity. We see to it that the chemical products used in a system are self-neutralizing as far as possible in order to minimize their environmental impact.
What is the timeframe for implementing the resource efficiency guidelines? Please explain how the guidelines will be used within WashTec.
The project is already underway. We see the achievement of requirements in this projectas an ongoing process and therefore have not set a completion date. More than 90% ofthe materials we use are recyclable, which makes them highly resource-efficient. We ex-pect to be able to incorporate up to 98% recyclable materials into our products.Integrating resource efficiency and the use of recyclable, environment-friendly materialsand components in a viable business model is an ongoing challenge facing every busi-ness enterprise.
