»Each thought is worth to be written down« – the guiding principle of Schneider Schreibgeräte (Schneiderpen) is also relevant in the digital age. Especially environmentally conscious people prefer a classic pen; be it a pencil, a pen or a fountain pen. And you do not always have a mobile device at hand when you want to take notes.
It is in Schneider’s Nature to take responsibiltiy
Schneiderpen has been riding on the eco bandwagon for more than 15 years. As early as 1998 the company was certified by EMAS (Eco-Management and Audit Scheme).
Once started in 1938 with the company Schneider Brothers, that manufactured screws and turned parts, is nowadays a modern medium-sized company that specializes in the environmentally friendly production of writing instruments. Here, the family-owned company is aware of its social responsibility and fulfills the following sustainability criteria:
Made in Germany
Overlooking the environment, quality and social standards the production facilities are located in the Black Forest and the Harz in Germany. Production takes place almost exclusively in Germany. A special focus for the owners family Schneider are the reduction of land use, traffic, emissions and water protection.
Recycling
In the manufacturing process of the pens all possibilities to recycle are used. Casting sprues are ground down directly and fed back into the production process. In addition, cutting oils used in metal working can be used several times by performing filtration and conditioning.
For most packaging Schneider uses cardboard boxes made from a minimum of 80 % recycled paper. Instead of PVC non-critical PET film is used for plastic packaging. And for retailers paper bags made from 100% recycled paper are provided. They are recyclable and an important contribution to avoid plastic bags.
Energy- and resource-efficient
Renewable energies are used at the company Schneiderpen since 1998. Own energy is generated from power cogeneration as well as from a photovoltaic system. Electrical energy is obtained from hydropower sources. By consciously employing and exhausting the possibilities of recycled parts, Schneider helps to protect the finite resource of crude oil.
The K3 Biosafe ballpoint pen with a housing made of bioplastics and a replaceable, document-quality giant refill counts among the resource-saving pens. At the end of its service life parts are recyclable and compostable. But before the K3 Biosafe has reached the end of its life cycle, it can be refilled by the clever plug + play system with different variety of refill formats.
Durabilty
Longevity means the combination of sustainability and quality. Materials are consciously selected against the backdrop, Schneider Schreibgeraete GmbH to design products for a long service life and with attention to what comes after. Wherever possible, it will be avoided using substances requiring hazardous disposal, such as PVC or cadmium dyes. Solid workmanship and refill mines guarantee the full use of pens, rollerballs and other pens over several years. The durabiltiy of the writing instruments is the most important contribution to avoid waste. Stop PVC is more than just a slogan for the German company.
Climate-friendly
Concern of the company is to produce environmentally-friendly and save emissions in all operations. For a positive carbon footprint transport distances are kept to a minimum. For procurement local sources in order to maintain the transparency of the environmentally-friendly manufacturing are preferred. A single cargo company for freight transport is used to maximise capacity utilisation and minimise traffic. Environmental management and published goals for reducing CO2 and particulate matter as well as the use of lorries with emissions class 5 are requirements.
More than half of recycled packaging Scheider gets from suppliers within a radius of 50 km and thus avoids long transport routes.
Also in terms of mobility the company in the Black Forest provides climate-friendly contributions. Providing 50 e-bikes for employees helps to protect the environment and to stay fit. For that, Schneider has been awarded the B.A.U.M environmental prize by the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg.
The use of the free company bus by employees saves around 50,000 kilometres and 25 car parking spaces. The latter avoids a further soil sealing. For business trips to destinations further away within Germany it is obligatory for Schneider employees to use the train. Short distances are made with an electric car.
Sustainabilty in everyday work
In the offices at Schneider it's sustainable and conscious. The electricity consumption was reduced by more than half through the use of energy-saving computers and low-consumption monitors with the Green IT (3 stars), EnergyStar and Blauer Engel labels. Natural air from outside instead of air conditioning cools the high-performance computers in the company's own computing centre. Eco printing paper is exclusively used that is certified with the Blue Angel or the EU Ecolabel.
Fair and social
It is known that the production in low-wage countries would reduce the cost and increase the company profit. Aware of environmental and social responsibility Schneider Schreibgeraete waived on outsourcing to low-wage countries, thus strengthening Germany as a location. 2011 it was awarded as an exemplary company with the European Office Product Award "Corporate Social Responsibility". Since the pens are developed and produced in Germany, the ambitious social standards can be met.
In cooperation with suppliers Schneider relies on fairness. At that performance and counter-performance, chances and risks are well balanced proportions. The majority of the required goods are bought in EU countries. Suppliers made a declaration that they are ensuring continuous humane working conditions. And with the placing of external wage work in sheltered workshops the medium-sized company secures more social requirements.
By signing the PBS (paper, office and writing products) code of honour Schneider represents fair competition and sets a clear example against corruption. The ethical initiative signed by the four major business associations for the stationery industry ensures transparency, equal opportunities and fair business practices among the market partners in the industry.
Writing Instruments for Digital Natives and Green Office
Whether digital native or writing practitioners: Pens of Schneider are the tool for linking ideas between the offline and online world. In addition to eco-conscious consumers, the offer of Schneider is directed primarily at companies that want to implement their climate change strategy and the "Green Office".