Waste along the Value Chain

Continuous reduction of waste

During the reporting period, we launched extensive projects with the aim of reducing the consumption of resources along the entire value chain. The principle of Refuse – Reduce – Reuse – Recycle serves as a guideline for us. We have managed to improve our waste management along our upstream, in our MAM plants and downstream.

Waste management in the upstream

Sprueless production

In this area, we developed several solutions in cooperation with our suppliers during the reporting period that made it possible for us to save around five additional tons of plastic in both 2019 and 2020. What began with a process for the waste-free production of our pacifier shields has now been expanded to include other elements of our product range, namely the MAM Air pacifier, the Baby's Toothbrush, the Storage Solution for breast milk and the Sterilizing and carry box.

Waste management in the MAM plants

Waste reduction at the Hungarian plant 

At our plant in Vaskeresztes, Hungary, the individual parts are assembled into finished pacifiers, bottles and much more. This process can lead to rejects, i.e., faulty products that are not approved for sale. Recently, the introduction of a new construction of our MAM Original 6+ and 16+ pacifiers resulted in an increase in the reject rate to an unusual 8%. We performed a detailed audit of the process and were able to determine and eliminate the causes. The reject rate is now 0.1%. This value is even lower than the initial number before the construction adjustment.

Bit by bit to sustainability

Non-hazardous waste such as paper, plastic and other recyclable materials are collected in a dedicated area and picked up by a recycling company. We have contracted a company specializing in hazardous waste to ensure proper disposal. There is also a special restricted access area at the plant for this waste.

In our plant, we have set ourselves goals in various areas that we are constantly evaluating, for example the annual reduction in the amount of waste by 5%.


Tamara Spilak

S-HSE (System Health, Safety & Environment) 
Engineer at MAM

Waste management in the downstream

Distribution

The objectives in this area are closely linked to sustainable packaging. In order to avoid waste in this area, we are concentrating on further increasing the recycling rate. All packaging materials should be recyclable by 2022 and all packaging solutions by 2025 – this also includes outer packaging. Unsold products are made available as donations as part of an international process. 

Use phase 

This also falls under the stated objectives of our sustainable packaging project. Most of our packaging is already recyclable and we are continuously working on converting the remaining part as well. To ensure the achievability of these goals in the use phase, the expansion and availability of recycling systems are also important, and MAM is involved with initiatives to this end.

End of life

The possibilities of recycling in the field of plastics are mainly limited to material recycling of the packaging. One of the reasons for this is that packaging makes up the majority of waste, it can be collected centrally, and companies and service providers often share the costs. Because of this, blanket solutions are often not possible for everyday items. This is why we have been focusing on upcycling initiatives for years. These have the advantage not only of extending the life of our products, but also that upcycling promotes creativity and environmental awareness among families.

To our MAM Upcycling ideas

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