W&H Headquarters - EN
Green Thinking at W&H
For more than 130 years, W&H stands for precision and innovation in medical technology.
Today, the company conducts business worldwide, supporting dentists, surgeons, and clinics in providing patients with the best possible quality of treatment.
Only those who consistently integrate quality, safety, and environmental consciousness will be able to develop the best solutions for the future. We spoke with Daniela Loiperdinger and Michael Stadler from W&H Facility Management about responsibility, challenges, and how to implement sustainability step by step in an international manufacturing company.
- Facility Management
- Head of Facility Management
Sustainability is a much-discussed topic. What significance does it hold at W&H?
Daniela: For us, sustainability primarily means thinking long-term – economically, ecologically, and socially. This is reflected in many areas: we develop durable and modular products, focus on environmentally friendly packaging, and prefer to work with regional suppliers.
Michael: Our goal is climate neutrality by 2040. Our philosophy is: credible climate protection begins with avoidance and reduction – not with compensation. From the product perspective, every one of our developments meets defined sustainability criteria. This ranges from recyclability and repairability to eco-design.
Can you give us a few more examples of how you implement this in practice?
Michael: Our production is very energy-intensive, that is precisely where we focused our efforts. Since 2019, we have been generating green electricity with our own photovoltaic system, which consists of around 1,800 modules. With it, we cover about five percent of our total energy demand. In 2024, we also implemented a comprehensive energy efficiency project and were able to save around 900,000 kWh of electricity – equivalent to the annual consumption of about 180 single-family homes.
Daniela: Another example is our state-of-the-art, automated metal swarf and oil recycling system.
All the metal shavings we produce are collected, sorted by type, de-oiled, and then picked up by a recycling company. The system uses weight sensors to report the need for pickup fully automatically, optimising processes and avoiding unnecessary trips. This allows 100 percent of our metal swarf and about 90 percent of the oil to be recycled.
And what about mobility at W&H?
Daniela: We have relied on e-mobility between our sites in Austria since 2015 and currently use 11 electric cars and four e-bikes for transport – that way over 106,000 kilometres were covered emission-free in the 2023/24 financial year. Since 2022, our employees have also had access to their own e-charging stations.
Were there difficult phases on the path towards greater sustainability?
Daniela: Of course – every development also brings challenges. A particularly major project was our new construction, completed in 2022: three new production halls, a logistics centre, and a staff restaurant, spanning a total of approximately 40,000 m².
Michael: Resource conservation was a key focus from the very beginning. We tried to plan every step with environmental consciousness in mind – from energy supply and logistics to production.
Daniela: In the end, it paid off: In 2022, we were awarded the Environmental Prize for holistic process improvements. By consolidating the two production sites in Bürmoos at Plant 2, we were able to significantly reduce our environmental impact. This applies to material, waste, energy, and all processes along the production chain.
What long-term vision drives W&H regarding health, innovation, and future viability?
Michael: We want to shape health sustainably – for our customers, patients, and employees. To achieve this, we continuously invest in research and development, maintain close communication with users worldwide, and continually review our processes to improve.
Daniela: Every step towards decarbonisation counts. Our Environmental Management team ensures that we continuously measure progress and identify potential for optimisation – across all departments.
Which projects are currently on the agenda to further advance the company's sustainable course?
Daniela: Our environmental team draws up an action plan every year. This ranges from process optimisation and energy efficiency projects to converting our vehicle fleet to low-emission vehicles. We want to show that economic success and ecological responsibility are indeed compatible.
Thank you for the interview!
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