Working together for the environment
We take our responsibility to protect and preserve a healthy environment very seriously. Already in the product development phase, we are guided by considerations for environmentally friendly business operations. Partners and suppliers are critical to achieving sustainability, which is why we include them in our endeavours. We also actively involve our employees, promote awareness, provide regular training and ensure transparent communication of the outcomes of our efforts. In addition, we are committed to:
conducting climate-neutral business operations and further improving our environmental management
complying with legal requirements and other obligations
subjecting our activities to regular and independent monitoring and certification
Targeted emissions reductions
Our CO₂ emissions and the compensation projects we support relate to Ifolor AG, the permanent establishment in Switzerland. These two areas are covered by the Swiss Climate Label "CO₂ NEUTRAL. ifolor is constantly adapting its measures to reduce energy consumption and consistently ensures that cardboard and printing paper waste is recycled correctly. ifolor also set itself a strategic long-term goal of reducing CO₂ emissions by 50% by 2020, from the base year 2011. This target was met ahead of schedule, by 2016. CO₂ emissions were in fact cut by 54% versus the base year. This marked a very successful outcome for the initial target period. Now we are working towards a new target. Our goal is an ambitious one: to reduce CO₂ emissions by a further 30% compared with the new base year of 2020. In our efforts to continuously optimise our waste concept, we also source all our electricity from Swiss hydropower. As a result of our efforts, ifolor will be awarded the Swiss Climate “CO₂-neutral” certification for the 11th time in 2022. This includes the operationally relevant emission sources for the production of the products: chemicals (such as ink, varnish), energy, electricity, paper and water consumption, business travel, commuting and waste. However, the photo products themselves are not considered here. The creation of a life cycle assessment (ISO standard 14044) of the photographic products is planned in the future.
Emissions from business heating
Compared to the base year 2020, emissions from our heating system fell by 59% in 2024. Thanks to our collaboration with the Thurgau Competence Center for Renewable Energy Systems (KEEST) and the overhaul of our gas heating system, we were able to save 17 tons of CO₂ compared to the previous year. The optimized settings significantly increased efficiency and reduced emissions.
Emissions from water consumption
Compared to the base year 2020, we were able to reduce our emissions from water consumption by 96% in 2024 – 19% less than in the previous year. Per employee, consumption is only 3.1 m³ of water, which corresponds to about 52 bathtubs full – significantly below the Swiss average of 142 m³ per person per year.
Emissions from commuting
Compared to the base year 2020, we were able to reduce emissions from commuting by 42%, and compared to the previous year, the reduction is 31%. Contributing factors included the Bike to Work initiative, more electric car commuters, a decline in gasoline and diesel cars, an increase in electric bicycles, and greater use of public transportation.
Our climate-neutral business operations
We measure all consumables that are required for the production of our products, such as chemicals (incl. ink, varnish), energy, electricity, paper and water consumption, business travel, commuting and waste. We compensate the emissions calculated from the consumption by supporting two climate projects. Therefore, our business operations related to the production of our products are climate-neutral. Since 2012, we have had our CO₂ management checked by an independent body, Swiss Climate AG, and are once again certified "CO₂ neutral" every year.
Environmentally friendly products
We believe that making the production of our products more environmentally friendly is essential to ensuring long-term environmental sustainability. Therefore, sustainability is just as much a focus when procuring products from external suppliers as it is when making the photo products. We also strive to design durable products, which we do by producing items of the highest quality. Users are then able to enjoy our products for longer, with no need to buy a replacement. We currently offer the following range of environmentally friendly products:
ifolor’s CEO Hannes Schwarz
“As a family-run company, we have lived and breathed photography since 1961. Environmentally friendly development and production on site according to Swiss quality standards is a tradition with us".
Andreas Schmidt, Head of Quality Management Systems
“We are renowned for carefully crafted, high-quality products and guaranteed satisfaction.”
Social commitment to climate projects
By investing in Swiss Climate projects and saving resources within the company, we are making our contribution to environmentally conscious living and a sustainable future. The greenhouse gas emissions generated by business operations are offset via a percentage-based contribution to one of Swiss Climate's climate projects. This amount is calculated based on the quantity of CO₂ generated in the corresponding reporting period. The two projects we have been supporting since 2016 are:
Certified environmental management
ISO 14001:2015
In 2022, we received this certificate – based on the international ISO 14001:2015 standard – for our excellent and thorough organisation in setting up and implementing our environmental management system. Our commitment to environmental issues is part of this integrated management system and is constantly being developed and optimised. You can find further information on the “ISO 14001:2015” label at https://www.sqs.ch/en/services/products/iso-140012015
