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Carsten Knobel knows his way around what is technically possible and what pays off.
The qualified chemist and business economist headed the Group's finance department for eight years before he rose to the top of Henkel a year ago.
The Düsseldorf-based consumer goods manufacturer is listed on the Dax, but the majority of the common shares are family-owned.
On the subject of sustainability, Knobel answered at the “Better Future Conference” (video of the interview here).
WELT AM SONNTAG:
Henkel produces adhesives for industry, detergents such as Persil and the Schauma shampoo.
Products that are not exactly associated with environmental protection.
How do you want to become more sustainable?
Carsten Knobel:
We have two major levers for more sustainability. In our direct business with consumers, with detergents and cleaning agents as well as hair and body care, which account for around ten billion euros in sales per year, we rely on sustainable raw materials, less packaging and recyclable and recycled materials. We also want to help consumers use less water and less energy when using our products. We generate another ten billion euros in sales with our industrial business. Here we help our customers around the world to make their products or processes more sustainable. In the automotive industry, for example, our adhesives help make cars lighter. Or our electrically conductive adhesives increase the efficiency of modern solar systems.This means that less CO2 is emitted.
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WELT AM SONNTAG:
Let's take a closer look at the packaging.
Recycled material doesn't help against the mountains of rubbish in developing countries.
Do you have to move away from the plastic bottle and towards the old granules in the cardboard box?
Knobel:
Our customers want different formats, i.e. the classic powder, the self-dissolving tabs or even liquid detergents in plastic bottles.
Therefore, 100 percent of Henkel's packaging for detergents and cosmetics should be recyclable or reusable by 2025.
In concrete terms, this means that we have already converted all of the PET bottles in the detergent business in Europe to recycled material.
We launched the Nature Box brand, which offers shampoo and shower gel in solid form, only packaged in paper.
And there are now refillable dishwashing and laundry detergents under the “Love Nature” brand.
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WELT AM SONNTAG:
So far, these are only available on the European market.
How does your trash get out of the trenches and beaches in countries like Myanmar?
Knobel:
Well-functioning recycling systems also exist in many other regions and countries, not just in Europe.
But it is also true that in many countries there are still no structures for collecting or recycling waste.
That is why we have been working with the social enterprise Plastic Bank since 2017, for example, which sets up collection points for plastic waste that is then recycled.
For example on the beaches of Haiti.
This helps the environment and creates income for people in poverty who receive money or vouchers for the plastic waste they collect.
Since this year we have expanded our cooperation with the Plastic Bank to include Egypt.
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Cleaning action on the Uru Uru Lake in Bolivia, which is polluted with plastic waste
Source: dpa
WELT AM SONNTAG:
Ultimately, handling plastic is also a question of price.
The EU is introducing a tax on non-recycled plastic this year.
Is packaging still too cheap in the rest of the world?
Knobel:
You are addressing an important point.
Whether something has a price or not also says something about the value that we attach to a good.
And one thing is clear to me: companies that are committed to the recycling, reuse and disposal of their products should not have to shoulder higher costs than companies that do not.
Taxes can also help to set clear signals in the market and provide incentives for more sustainability.
We just run out of time.
We have to act now.
WELT AM SONNTAG:
Companies usually align their advertising to awaken needs. Wouldn't it have to be about doing without in order to become really more sustainable? According to the motto: wash your towels less often, use less shampoo.
Knobel:
Given the challenges, less consumption would be more, you are certainly right. The only question is whether that's realistic when you look at global trends. Especially in the emerging countries, with increasing prosperity, people also want to catch up in consumption and finally buy things that were unattainable. That is completely understandable. That is why we have to enable responsible, conscious consumption with our products and contribute to reducing the consumption of resources. To do this, we always need new innovations. Our Persil “4 in 1 Discs”, for example, enable clean laundry with less water and at lower temperatures.