Henkel Maribor opened new building for waste water treatment

The 4.7-million-euro investment is a commitment to sustainable development made by Henkel’s business and production operations. The purpose of the state-of-the-art technology is to clean the industrial wastewater the site produces and rid it of surfactants and grease, lowering the chemical oxygen demand. The treatment plant cleans up to 450 m³ of water per day, or 19 m³/h and reduces the waste load up to 90%, so the water can go to the municipal wastewater treatment plant.
The Director of Henkel Maribor, Christof Vollstedt stated during the opening ceremony that the facility continuously works on developing more intelligent processes in order to manufacture high quality products, following the desires of customers and ensuring clear evidence of sustainability throughout the entire value chain. “The new waste water plant reflects Henkel’s strong commitment to its own sustainability strategy”, he further mentioned. “With the same diligence for sustainability, we live up to the expectation of our social responsibility in this region as one of the biggest employers around. More than 700 women and men are working for Henkel Maribor d.o.o. in production areas and competence centers for microbiology, material planning, packaging development, and research and development. Investing in this technology”, said Christof Vollstedt, “demonstrates Henkel’s dedication to providing now, and also in the future, products with superior quality and value from Maribor”.

“This investment shows impressively and proves clearly that the strategy of our corporation to becoming more sustainable is seriously targeted and followed with full commitment from our board and shareholders”, stated Matthias Czaja, Corporate Senior Vice President, Henkel Global Supply Chain B.V. “This impressive new building with its state-of-the-art technology inside is also a clear sign that Henkel continues and extends its business engagement in Slovenia and especially in the city of Maribor where we have operated successfully already for nearly three decades.” In the same vein, he said: “Today the factory became an integral part of the Henkel network and, from the beginning, we have implemented numerous projects for production extensions, modernizations and sustainable development. To summarize our engagement with figures: During the last five years, Henkel has invested in this site more than 35 Million Euros.”

The President of the Republic of Slovenia, Borut Pahor, said at the opening ceremony: "I congratulate Henkel for a 140-year tradition that shows business success and gives hope for further development and new foreign investments in Slovenia. The opening of the treatment plant shows the sustainability commitment of the company.”

The Mayor of the Municipality of Maribor, Saša Arsenovič, accompanied the new premises with the following words: "The protection of the environment is part of corporate social responsibility and is not just a trend but an increasing need. We must be aware of our responsibilities and ensure the safe handling of waste industrial waters that return to the environment. In light of the sustainable and socially responsible development of Henkel Maribor, which has been successfully operating and employing many citizens for many years, I welcome the opening of the plant for cleaning industrial waste water."