Werner & Mertz Hallein celebrates EMAS anniversary

For two decades Werner & Mertz (Frosch, Erdal and Green Care Professional brands) has sent a strong signal for sustainable management. The production site in Hallein has been validated according to the strict Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) since 2005–and proves anew every day that environmental protection, innovation and commercial success are compatible with each other.

EMAS, the environmental management system developed by the European Union, is considered the world’s most complete and most demanding system. With EMAS, companies are in a position to make an effective contribution to environmental protection, save costs and demonstrate their corporate social responsibility. Furthermore, EMAS promotes the circular economy and ensures that a company can manage and optimize its potential environmental impact.

“EMAS is and remains for us the soundest and most transparent standard in the environmental field. As part of the annual audit, environmental auditors spend several days in our company and, besides examining data, performance indicators and goals in the Environmental Statement, they look closely at the factory premises and production processes. No other standard offers a well-founded audit at this level,” said Yannic von Raesfeld, Head of Sustainability Management at Werner & Mertz.

For Werner & Mertz, however, EMAS is more than a certification—it is a promise to the future. “Our twenty-year EMAS anniversary is a strong sign of the sustainability philosophy we live by. It shows that we live and breathe environmental awareness with every fiber of our company. This success belongs to the entire team at the Werner & Mertz site in Hallein,” said  Ingo Frank, Managing Director of Werner & Mertz Hallein.

What makes EMAS special is that it is not a state, but a continuous process. The longer a company pursues the EMAS path, the more engaged it becomes in environmental management. Every year Werner & Mertz Hallein publishes an Environmental Statement with open, transparent  information about progress and future environmental and energy goals. Regularly scheduled audits transparently show achievements and point out areas with potential for improvement. EMAS thus makes a significant contribution to deepening the trust our customers have in our products.

Another important aspect of EMAS is that employees from a variety of areas are involved in the continuous improvement of the environmental performance. In particular, innovative ideas from the team are essential for the company’s sustained progress.

Werner & Mertz Hallein is firmly committed to using biological and technical cycles to conserve resources and reduce waste. In its Recyclate Initiative, the company and its partners process the contents of the Yellow Bag into high-quality recyclate for new packaging. That’s a decisive step toward a functioning circular economy. In the summer of 2025, Werner & Mertz will reach another milestone, that is, the production of the one billionth bottle made from used plastic. The project shows that environmental management and commercial success are not contradictory but mutually reinforcing.

Werner & Mertz sees the anniversary not as a retrospective of what has been achieved, but rather as motivation to set new standards. In the future the company will continue on an innovative course in order to drive sustainable management forward. The focus is on continuous optimization of production processes, support of mechanical recycling technologies, and close cooperation with partners and society. “We will continue using our environmental management intensely and will show that sustainable business is not only possible, but essential for our future,” said Frank.