Ralf Bohle GmbH, owner of the Schwalbe brand, recently published its first CSR report. This is a document through which the German company wants to define concrete and measurable objectives. for the future in terms of ecological and social responsibility.
The 2021 CSR report is informative in nature, but at the same time aims to inspire the entire bicycle industry to further expand its responsibility.
The report was prepared according to the standards of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). These internationally recognized guidelines ensure the validity of the data and, through their specifications, allow the comparability of all sustainability issues between different companies, even outside their own sector.
For the coming years, Schwalbe has set itself ambitious goals in the following four strategic areas of action: products, company, supply chain and social. Speaking of the company, let's remember that Schwalbe recently inaugurated its own new headquarters of Reichshof in GermanyAccording to the objectives set, starting from 2025 the new headquarters will have to use exclusively renewable energy.
The theme of recycling
One of the topics covered in the CSR report concerns recycling. By 2023, Schwalbe wants to introduce the first series-produced tire with RCB (carbon black) obtained from tire recycling. By 2026, the company plans to recycle a total of 14 million tires and 15 million inner tubes..
Today Schwalbe is the only manufacturer in the world to take back used bicycle tires and reuse the secondary raw materials, obtained through a complex thermochemical pyrolysis process, for the manufacture of new products. The process reduces CO2 emissions by approximately 80% compared to the previous incineration method..
The topic of emissions reduction extends to the transportation of raw materials. According to the CSR report, all unavoidable emissions from air transport will have to be offset starting in 2022. financing certified international development and climate protection projects in producing countries.
The theme of solidarity
One of the areas of focus of the CSR report is the supply chain. Schwalbe has been collaborating with Fair Rubber since 2019. The two organizations are fighting together to protect fair trade in natural rubber. and actively support the improvement of the living and working conditions of rubber farmers. Today, Schwalbe is the first and only tire manufacturer to be a member of Fair Rubber and to address this issue comprehensively.
In the social sphere, Schwalbe plans to establish its own Children's Advisory Council in 2022, as part of a joint project with Children eV
We conclude with the thoughts of Frank Bohle, CEO of Ralf Bohle GmbH: «Anyone who offers products for climate-friendly mobility must act sustainably. This is what we ask for in our corporate responsibilityWe pursue the goal of achieving our business objectives with reduced resource consumption and environmental impact. To achieve this, we want to inspire and engage as many partners as possible. Our vision is to create lasting economic, environmental and social value».
