Environmental Report 2009 Weleda AG (Switzerland, Germany, France) Contents 3 Editorial 4 Company history 6 Raw material sourcing and biodiversity 12 Sustainability management 13 Environmental guidelines 14 Ecobalance 18 Resource management 23 Country reports 26 Addresses/Certification 27 Publication details Front page: Collection of primula flowers in the Swiss Jura Mountains for Weleda pharmaceuticals 3 Editorial Dear reader, We are pleased to present you with the first ever consolidated environmental report of Weleda AG for the year 2009. It contains the reports of our parent company in Arlesheim, Switzerland as well as those of our establishments in Schwäbisch Gmünd, Germany and in Huningue, France, and of Weleda Naturals GmbH in Germany. The United Nations declared 2010 the International Year of Biodiversity, an important step that we are very happy about. Promoting biodiversity is one of Weleda's core areas of focus, with biological diversity on our planet vanishing at an alarming rate. The loss of wildlife habitats is putting our existence at risk. Only intact ecosystems provide fertile soil, food, water and oxygen. Since its foundation, Weleda has considered diversity an asset – an asset that it wishes to increase. Without biological diversity there would be no Weleda products. Apart from the im- portant component, water, we utilise almost 1,000 natural raw materials for our pharmaceuti- cals and cosmetics. Weleda is striving to incorporate biodiversity management into all its busi- ness processes, and thereby make a contribution to a future worth living. This means that our environmental management is developing into a comprehensive sustainability management system. It is an exciting task, contributing to this continuous change for the better, and helping to achieve an increase in diversity at all levels. We hope our report will provide some interesting insights. Enjoy reading! Marc Follmer Bas Schneiders Member of the Weleda Group Management Head of CSR Weleda Group 3 Company history In harmony with nature and the human being since 1921 Weleda has operated and created products sustainably since 1921. What originated as a natural pharmaceutical laboratory has become the world's leading producer of anthroposophic pharmaceuticals and holistic natural and organic cosmetics. As of 2010, the Weleda Group has offices and partnerships in 51 countries throughout the world. Since 1921, the company's mission has been to maintain, promote aging and distribution of the final products. For this purpose, and restore health. Our product assortment includes 3,000 pharma- Weleda grows medicinal plants and produces tinctures, and fur- ceuticals and more than 105 natural and organic cosmetics, as ther naturally processes these raw materials through heat and well as dietetics. Highest quality standards are accompanied by a potentizing. The products are distributed in various pharmaceuti- sustainable use of resources. 62 per cent of all plant-based re- cal forms – tablets, ointments, globules, ampules, creams, lotions, sources are from certified organic or biodynamic cultivation and and oils. Manufacturing processes such as the melting of fats, controlled wild collection. Weleda products are composed of purely saponifying of beeswax, mixing and stirring and various heat natural substances, and no synthetic preservatives are used. processes (including decoction and infusion) are used. The company's three main processes relevant to the envi- Currently, about 1,800 full-time employees work for the ronment are the sourcing of natural raw materials, their process- Weleda Group. In all markets worldwide, Weleda stands for trust, ing into cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and dietetics, and the pack- quality and sustainable economic management. 105 natural and organic cosmetics – 3,000 pharmaceuticals – CHF 400 million revenue 1,800 employees – 1,000 natural raw materials – 12 years of environmental management 4 5 Company history Milestones of environmental protection 1921 Environmentalism at Weleda AG begins with its founda- 2003 The Weleda Group Management Board (WGL) decides to tion. The central focus is on the production of pharmaceuticals have the three main production sites in Switzerland, Germany and natural and organic cosmetics, with a holistic approach to and France EMAS/ISO 14001 certified. An international envi- the human being, society and nature. ronment committee is founded for continuous data collection and a comprehensive ecobalance evaluation. 1930 Weleda AG plants medicinal herb gardens based on bio- dynamic principles. Today they remain the identity and the 2005/06 A new pharmacy, logistics and administration building source of comprehensive efforts to protect the environment is constructed at the parent company in Arlesheim according to and to conserve species. ecological criteria. An extensive catalogue of measures concern- ing insulation, energy efficiency, water pollution control, storage 1972 Re-cultivation of the medicinal plant arnica in its native of hazardous materials, and safety at work is implemented. habitats begins. 2006 The first international Weleda conference on the environ- 1988 Water and heat are saved through operating distillation ment, with participants from Germany, France and Switzerland, plants in a closed water circuit, cooled by heat pumps. Use of drafts objectives for a medium-term environment strategy of recycled paper for advertising booklets and the Weleda news the Weleda Group, with the main focus on carbon neutrality and magazine, “Weleda Nachrichten”. Waste management focused water conservation. Weleda Naturals GmbH is inaugurated in on waste separation and recycling. Germany. The tinctures production facility at the site is equipped with a photovoltaic generator on the roof, which produces more 1992 Weleda begins the systematic sourcing of organic raw ma- than 30,000 kilowatt hours of electricity. terials and the supervision of partners for cultivation and wild collection (sea buckthorn berries, iris roots, birch leaves), along 2007 The greenhouse gas emissions of the three production with the careful maintenance of biotopes and re-cultivation of sites in Germany, France and Switzerland are analysed by the plants for pharmaceuticals and cosmetics in their native habitats: Institute for Applied Ecology in Freiburg, Germany. An integrated arnica, primula, ratanhia, lobaria pulmonaria, and many more. balance sheet for greenhouse gas emissions is created. 1997 The first eco-audit is conducted according to EMAS and ISO 2008 Weleda lends active support to the Business and Bio- 14001 standards at the largest production site, in Schwäbisch diversity Initiative and participates in the 9th UN Conference on Gmünd, Germany. Release of the first environmental report, Biological Diversity. “Transparenz 1”. Introduction of a holistic environmental man- agement system. 2009 Environmental management, previously carried out at a national level, is expanded to a comprehensive, Group-wide 2000 Weleda is one of the first companies in Germany to pub- CSR and sustainability management approach, with detailed lish a sustainability report. Co-foundation of a work group, reporting. “Medicine and species protection”, initiated by the WWF. 2001 A new administrative building opens in Schwäbisch Gmünd, Germany, built according to ecological criteria: Its power sup- ply is based entirely on regenerative energies, yielding sav- ings of more than 2,000 tons of CO2 emissions per year. 5 Raw material sourcing and biodiversity Generating raw materials, promoting biodiversity Diversity is a basic principle of life, and it is of great importance to Weleda. To contribute to the protection of biological diversity, Weleda employs organic and biodynamic cultivation methods and supports sustainable projects. Without biological diversity there would be no Weleda prod- Wild collection ucts. For a company obtaining almost 1,000 raw materials from nature, the careful use of natural resources has top priority. Weleda also uses medicinal plants gathered in their native hab- Premium quality raw materials are the basis of high grade and itats. They are partly collected by Weleda employees, partly by effective products that contribute to the health and well-being experienced external collectors. For several decades now, how- of its consumers. It is not just the effects of the products that ever, the proportion of plants from wild collection has declined contribute to health, but also the way they are produced. Eco- in favour of systematic cultivation. logically compatible cultivation has favourable effects on na- ture and the human being. With the use of organic fertilizers Partnerships and natural pesticides in organic cultivation, ground water quality is preserved, and the cycle of materials remains intact. The third pillar of raw material sourcing is based on long-term Improving soil quality results in more effective flood partnerships with suppliers in a global network. In the last seven protection and prevents erosion. Organic cultivation also de- years, for example, Weleda has brought about the world's big- mands much less energy than other forms of cultivation and it gest organic rose cultivation project, in cooperation with Turkish reduces the emission of substances harmful to climate and farmers. More than 300 farmers cultivate “Rosa damascena” for health. By preserving the diversity of species, organic cultiva- Weleda on 120 hectares of land. Weleda processes one third of tion greatly contributes to the stability of ecosystems. These