Second life for moulds too fit to retire
Second Life, Otto Hofstetter AG’s mould brokerage service, offers mechanically sound moulds that are no longer used by their owners to other producers who can use them. Before going to its new owners, the mould is completely overhauled at the factory in Uznach and comes with a one-year guarantee. Otto Hofstetter’s Second Life is a good example of the circular economy in action.
Today, sustainability is at the top of everyone’s agenda in the food and cosmetics industries. Many of the biggest names have publicly announced their aim to have a balanced, net-zero carbon footprint in the next five to ten years. To reach this target, they are carefully examining all of their activities and looking for ways to minimise their environmental impact.
In order to remain credible with consumers, many industry leaders are joining ambitious global initiatives such as the New Plastics Economy, which counts Coke, Danone, Mars, Nestlé, PepsiCo, Unilever and Walmart among its core partners. And a product’s packaging is often even more important than its origins or its manufacturing processes because the packaging is what the consumer sees first. Sustainability is becoming increasingly important to investors, too. More and more investment decisions are being made today based on the investment’s ESG (environmental, social and governance) merits.
The circular economy is a model of production and consumption that aims to minimise waste by reusing, repairing, refurbishing and recycling existing materials and products. Companies are increasingly weighing the costs of simply disposing of valuable raw materials. Right from the beginning, in the product development stage, the selection of materials increasingly focuses on recyclability. The goal is that the raw materials used can remain “in the cycle” and can either be used again or sold on for reuse in other forms.
Preserving value instead of destroying it
Recycling certainly applies to steel. The good reputation of the moulds from Otto Hofstetter AG reflects not just the company’s skills as precision toolmakers but also the quality of the materials they use in their moulds. The fact is, these Swiss-made moulds produce packaging – whether for PET, packaging or medicinal products – that deliver high quality, with a life cycle far longer than that of the products they contain. Unfortunately, later on in their service life, these high-quality moulds all too often end up in a warehouse and are increasingly forgotten. At some point, they are then sold to a scrap metal dealer who buys these still usable moulds at the spot price for scrap. In fact, these moulds are far more valuable.
First class, second-hand
With Second Life, Otto Hofstetter AG aims to support the industry’s efforts to reduce its CO2 footprint. It recognises the value of the mould and the raw materials used to make it. Due to the design, which is more than 90% standardised for PET moulds and around 80% for PAC moulds of the S-Line, existing components can readily be reused in whole or in part. With PAC moulds, which have been designed uncompromisingly to the original customer’s specs, only small adjustments are possible. Alternatively, some components can be reused if the requirements are similar.
Free online platform
The Second Life platform is free to use for buyers and sellers. Second Life simply mediates between them. If a mould has been taken out of production, its owner can place it on the platform. If it finds a buyer, it is completely overhauled and, as necessary, modified at Otto Hofstetter’s headquarters in Switzerland. The new owner receives a 12-month guarantee.
