Our production with many facets
Sustainability
The entire production and development at Becker are geared towards sustainability. We source our raw wood exclusively from certified sustainable forests, which means that only as much wood is felled as will grow back in the same period of time. Wood as an infinite resource and important CO2 reservoir!
Good to know: FSC and PEFC
For more than 85 years, we have been processing beech logs from the region around Brakel in the middle of the world’s largest contiguous beech forest. We are certified according to FSC (C135245) and PEFC (04-31-0341) and therefore “Chain of Custody”. In this way, we offer our customers the assurance that the wood for their molding products comes from sustainably managed forests.
Molded beech wood instead of PP (polypropylene)
Advantages in comparison
Compared to recycled polypropylene with glass fiber (rPP-GF), molded beech wood has a significantly lower environmental impact:
- It requires less energy to produce, causes fewer CO₂ emissions and is completely biodegradable.
- It also comes from renewable, regional raw materials and offers a pleasantly warm feel.
| Recycled polypropylene with glass fiber reinforcement (rPP-GF) | Molded beech wood | |
|---|---|---|
| Raw materials | Recycled polypropylene with glass fibers (primary material) | renewable, from regional, sustainably managed forests |
| Primary energy expenditure | medium 4 – 6 kWh/kg new-PP: 15 kWh/kg | low 1 – 2 kWh/kg |
| Production costs | High, energy-intensive processing (glass fibers) | low and energy-efficient |
| CO₂-emissions | high approx. 1.5 – 2.2CO2e/kg new-PP: 2 – 3CO2e/kg | low approx. 0.7 CO₂e/kg binds CO₂ for decades |
| Field of application | Indoor and outdoor areas, very durable, UV and water resistant | Indoor areas, limited weather resistance |
| Contour | only one contour possible | Many contours from one mold |
| Biodegradability | not possible | complete |
| End-of-Life options | Very limited Downcycling, incineration (fossil CO₂ emissions), landfill. Glass fibers make high-quality recycling difficult | good cascade use or energy recovery (CO₂-neutral) |
| Haptics | cool | warm, pleasant |
Sustainability: We are about more!
We act economically.
- exclusively regional raw wood (logs)
- all the raw material wood is 100% processed in our company
- timeless design of the products
- repairable products
- prudent management
We act socially-socially.
- at the Brakel site for almost 90 years
- long employee affiliation
- low employee turnover
- independent company
- Longstanding and personal customer relationships
Our goal: sustainability also for our molded nonwoven
For us, the sustainable and conscious use of resources applies not only to wood, but also to nonwovens, which we process into molded nonwovens:
- All nonwovens supplied and used by us are produced in Europe. Some of the nonwovens are made from recycled PET bottles, and the nonwoven moldings can also be shredded, melted down and spun into fibers again at the end of their useful life. Thus, nonwovens made from 100% recycled fibers can be used on request.
- In addition, we also use natural fibers such as hemp, kenaf or flax for the production of molded nonwovens. These products can even be composted at the end of their life cycle.
For the love of wood: a digression
The tree as a living, immobile organism supplies itself with the nutrients that are available around its location. The appearance and quality of the wood are thus dependent on the respective environment of the tree as well as other influences such as air, precipitation, light conditions, etc. That is why each tree is unique, a one-of-a-kind piece of nature.
Wood is produced by complex metabolic processes in the tree
The roots absorb water and nutrients from the soil, and the chlorophyll in the leaves enables photosynthesis. Carbon dioxide (CO2) from the air and nutrients from the soil are converted into protein, starch, sugar and cellulose with the help of sunlight. Vital oxygen (O2) is produced as a “waste product” of photosynthesis.
Chemically, wood consists largely of organic material. These are different hydrocarbon compounds, of which cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin are the most important building blocks.
