Rethink the cycle. Rethink the waste.
Among others, the chemical industry produces thousands of essential products from the Earth’s raw materials every day. Resource efficiency across global value chains and operations is driving the development process in the chemical industry towards circularity. There is an increased need for designing sustainable solutions that demand fewer resources over the entire life cycle and that allow for an easy reuse and recycling at its end.
The challenge
Chemical production involves hazards hardly experienced in any other industry: complex reactions, inflammable materials, concentrated acids, heat, high pressure, risks of decomposing and explosion. Waste streams often contain mixtures of chemicals. These complex streams need to be refined and purified for valuable products to be recovered.
Besides this, the current approach to production processes is inefficient and unsustainable in the long term, based on the increasingly costly use of single-use raw materials.
Our take
Over the years, GEA has built up a strong track record as a responsible company but we can do even more. As one of the world's largest providers of process technology, we will continue to expand our commitment in the future.
GEA is developing its eco-design expertise to support customers right from the initial steps of creating manufacturing processes, through the production of new materials from transformed waste, bringing the circular economy loop to a close. GEA is rethinking engineering:
Foster sustainable business practices
We are actively driving sustainability through innovation and continuously improving processes and products by looking at the entire life cycle. This ensures that we help protect people and the environment by focusing on product and plant safety as well as continuous process optimization.
Extract value
GEA can help you implement liquid process technologies for solvent recovery there where chemical processes, often in multiple cycles, separate or clarify substances and phases or extract substances.
Remove impurities
We have a proven record recovering and crystallizing salts, detergents, and fine chemicals, helping our customers maximize economic benefit without needing more raw material.
Reutilize waste streams
We've helped reutilize process water and provide industrial wastewater treatment up to zero-liquid systems. Future-proofing our customers´ businesses in the face of limited resources.
Focus on circularity
GEA is engaged with key partners in the EU and around the world to jointly develop new ways to valorize natural biomass and vegetable residues by turning them into much sought-after functional proteins and other bioactive ingredients for use across diverse applications.
Showing initiative as role models
As an engineering group with a high level of expertise, GEA globally purchases raw materials, goods and services solely from qualified suppliers to ensure the long-term customer success.
When Chemistry Works With Engineering
GEA is taking bold action helping manufacturers worldwide embrace more sustainable, less wasteful and more energy-efficient and cost-effective procedures and processes.
