R&M Sustainability Report 2023

Connecting Circularity – Sustainable Supply and Value Chain
The ethics program throughout the supply
chain was further expanded in the reporting
year. The focus was on the application of
ISO 14001 (environmental management
systems) and ISO 45001 (occupational health
and safety management systems). The audit
system and supplier rating were adapted
and expanded to include sustain ability aspects.
The aspects environment, people and
management of the upstream suppliers have
now been completely integrated.
New packaging
concepts
The material, volume and disposal of packaging
have significant climate and environmental
impacts. Cardboard boxes, fillers and
films cause high volumes in transportation
and generate large quantities of waste. Installers
must put a lot of effort into recycling
and disposal.
R&M wants to improve the situation to the
advantage of its customers as well as in the
interest of sustainability. To this purpose, the
first packaging projects were launched in the
year under review. The main objectives: minimizing
packaging overall, amounts of plastic,
packaging waste and packaging-related
emissions. In addition to internal production
packaging, this also applies to packaging from
upstream partners.
«Thanks to the minimalist
packaging, the volume
of the shipping boxes can
be optimally utilized.»
Mathias Gerber,
Market Manager LAN Cabling
By 2030, packaging intensity should be
below 800 kg / CHF 1 million net sales. In the
year under review, the 900 kg / CHF 1 million
net sales mark was missed by only a few
kilograms.
Starting with the
RJ45 connector (FM45)
One of the biggest internal challenges is
finding alternatives to plastic. For example,
R&M would like to use more recycled plastic
or paper. Different material properties make
the switch difficult. Depending on the product,
important packaging properties, such as
protection against impact, dust, and moisture,
must be maintained.
Following a series of tests, an initial success
was achieved in the reporting year.
As Matthias Gerber, Market Manager LAN
Cabling, explains: «We launched the new
FM45 Cat. 6 A EL with paper packaging. The
paper is recycled and can be recycled again.
Thanks to the printing, we don’t need adhesive
labels. Due to the minimalist packaging,
the volume of the shipping boxes can be
optimally utilized.»
Customized packaging
In 2023, R&M launched the «Customized
Assembled Packaging as a Service» (CAPaaS)
offering. Customers can assemble and order
project-specific planned platforms such as
Netscale patch panels online. The patch
panels are completely assembled and ready
for installation, and all parts are delivered in
one package. With CAPaaS, project-specific
CO2 emissions can be reduced by up to 25 %.
Installation time is reduced by up to 30 % and
waste by up to 25 %.
030.8604
Product development
follows an end-of-life
approach
In the future, sustainable product development
will play a more important role at R&M.
On the one hand, this involves testing and
using more sustainable materials in product
development. On the other hand, it also involves
assessing the extent to which raw
materials can be used for a second life. Once
installed, R&M products usually remain in
place for decades. They often contain valuable
resources that should be returned to the
cycle. To this end, suppliers and customers
should also be consulted to develop and
implement holistic solutions together.
Technologies and products from R&M are
generally configured for consistently high
quality. They are reliable and durable. This
is underscored, among other things, by the
25-year system warranty and life-long application
warranty for the R&Mfreenet system.
The modular design approach makes it easy
to add, compact or replace network units.
The passive infrastructure does not have
to be completely replaced when a new IT
generation is introduced. This saves material
in the long run, especially metal and plastic.
Nevertheless, even greater leverage can be
achieved. R&M already applies an «end- oflife»
analysis to identify the long-term ecological
effects of products. Eco-design and
packaging design are also important. In 2024,
R&M will be addressing the issue of being
able to determine the ecological footprint
of key products over their life cycle.
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