Grundig reveals new smart & sustainable technologies at IFA 2018

At the recently concluded IFA 2018 – the world’s leading trade show for consumer electronics and home appliances, held in Berlin – Grundig unveiled a range of new technologies focused on meeting the evolving needs of the consumer while also contributing to a more sustainable future.

Award-winning recycled products

Amid the global push for a world less afflicted by plastic waste, the Grundig 2018 washer dryer tub and Zio+ vacuum cleaner are both made from recycled materials – significantly reducing plastic production and the content of landfill sites. Earlier this year, Grundig’s Zio+ vacuum cleaner was awarded “Recycled Plastic Consumer Lifestyle Product of the Year” by the Plastics Recycling Show (PRS) Europe, for the use of recycled plastic materials in its production from, Grundig’s parent company, Arçelik’s Waste Electric Electronic Equipment (WEEE) recycling facilities.

Since 2014, Grundig’s parent company, Arçelik, has run a campaign that recycles consumers’ used home appliances at designated recycling centres. Using innovative processes, the plastic materials found in these second-hand appliances are removed and are given a second life in Grundig’s Bodyguard Vacuum Cleaner. Around 90 per cent of the plastic materials used to produce the vacuum cleaner are materials from the WEEE facilities of Arçelik. This eco-friendly product is the first of its kind and is a major step towards global efforts to recycle petroleum-based plastics and reduce the volume of material sent to landfill. 

A newly developed material has enabled Grundig to use recycled plastic bottles in the production of tubs for a range of washer dryer models. Today, for every 200,000 washer dryers produced by the firm, roughly 12 million 500ml plastic bottles will be used in the process. As well as minimising the pollution caused by non-recycled plastics, this new manufacturing method also lowers CO2 emissions by significantly increasing energy saving efforts. 

Marine protection

In a bid to reduce the ill effects of microfibre bioaccumulation, Grundig has also developed fibre-filtering technology. Integrated into a washing machine, the filtration system has been designed to remove microfibres from washing machine discharge. The innovative system enables up to 99 per cent of microfibres leaking into water sources to be filtered, significantly reducing pollution of the aquatic ecosystem.

Indeed, plastic waste accumulates in high quantities in the sea and poses a major threat to marine life. Lost fishing nets are the main cause of death to half a million marine creatures every year, including animals such as fish, crustaceans, marine mammals and sea turtles. Grundig is working to reduce marine pollution by recycling fishing nets and utilising the plastic waste to enhance their home appliance products.

Nylon-based composite materials with high mechanical strength and thermal resistance have been developed by recycling the fishing net, textile and scrap wastes to produce oven parts. By the end of this year 65 tonnes (in total) of these waste materials will be recycled by using the improved nylon composites in oven parts. In accordance with Arçelik’s sustainability goals, it is planned to increase the consumption of the nylon-based recycled materials to 330 tonnes via extending the usage of formulations to other product categories in 2019. 

From September 2018 onwards, the recycled materials will be used in ovens (plastic parts such as oven display cover, cooling fan part and card holder parts), while approximately 30 parts in the entire home appliances product range will be ready for serial production in 2019.