At Diehl Metering, our commitment to sustainability includes a proactive approach to preventing plastic pellet loss to the environment. In 2017, we joined the voluntary program Operation Clean Sweep (OCS) to promote best practices in the plastics value chain. The audit took place in November of last year, and we received legal certification for our efforts in this area in January of 2023.
Within Diehl Metering, our site in Saint-Louis, France is the center of competence for thermoplastic injection molding. It produces most of the plastic parts used in manufacturing our meters, with more than 1000 tons of plastic granules consumed annually.
Plastic granules are the raw material for the plastic industry, but they are also a significant source of pollution because they often escape into the environment at different stages of their lifecycle, from production to transportation and manufacturing. In January 2017, Diehl Metering committed to reducing the risk of such pollution by joining the OCS program.
Following the OCS Charter, we implemented six recommendations at our Saint-Louis site. This covered optimizing production to prevent granule leaks, establishing procedures to achieve zero pellet loss, training employees in pellet containment, carrying out regular audits, complying with relevant regulations, and encouraging our partners to pursue the same goals.
These measures gave us a head start when France’s Ministry of Ecological and Solidarity Transition enacted the AGEC law to fight against waste and promote the circular economy. Designed to eliminate disposable plastic and reduce illegal dumping, the law also sets objectives to prevent the loss of plastic granules. From January 1, 2022, it became obligatory for all French sites handling industrial plastic granules to have equipment and procedures to prevent their loss and leakage into the environment.
Since January 1, 2023, these sites are also subject to regular inspections by independent bodies to ensure they are respecting requirements and that pellets are well-managed across the entire value chain. Diehl Metering was audited by Apave Certification in November 2022, and we successfully achieved certification for the Prevention of industrial plastic pellet losses to the environment.
Looking ahead, we plan to continue strengthening our commitment to this important cause and building towards our objective of zero pellet loss.