We at HS-Luftfilterbau GmbH have been pursuing the approach of sustainable production since the end of the 1990s. Last but not least, we underline our attitude to this with our environmental management, which has been certified for more than twenty years. While we have optimized our processes more and more in the past with regard to environmental compatibility, we consider the time to be more than ripe enough to also take certain risks in product development. We will offer the market and consumers products that not only increase the energy efficiency of your ventilation system, but also give you the choice to reduce the consumption of irreplaceable raw material resources and the associated CO2 release in the production of air filters.
Storage filters (in this sense "air filters" for short) are essential consumable components to ensure the functionality of air handling systems. They consist of a variety of more or less high-quality and elaborately manufactured materials. In addition to the filter media, which consist of synthetic nonwovens or meltblowns, glass fibers or synthetic membranes, other important components are frames, seals and special adhesives. Optimization of the sustainability of these products has so far largely failed to materialize due to the price sensitivity of large-scale users and consumers. Manufacturers' efforts are mainly focused on energy savings during operation and the lowest possible manufacturing costs. In both cases, it may be assumed that these aspects of sustainability are already very advanced.
However, if you look at the resource requirements of a compact filter, which is used, for example, in HVAC systems, supply and exhaust air systems or gas turbines, an imbalance immediately becomes painfully apparent when you look at the figures. Filters of this type weigh 6 - 8 kg in standard dimensions. During the period of use, these filters store approximately 250 - 600 g of atmospheric dust, particles and aerosols. In other words, a 7.5 kg filter (592x592x292 mm) will be disposed of after its weight increases to 7.9 kg when the final pressure differential is reached, or in other words: for a maximum of half a kilo of stored fine dust, 7.5 kg of mass must also be disposed of. Recycling of the components is not possible or would be extremely difficult simply because of the filtrates.
Thus, the balance of utility effectiveness for these products is conceivably poor.
Due to their widespread use and therefore large quantities, as well as their comparatively poor cost-effectiveness, the optimization of compact filters is our first development goal, which will be followed by a series of sustainability optimizations across our entire production range in the coming years. Here, it depends on users and consumers, i.e. ultimately you, whether we can consistently follow this path. The costs of sustainable products will initially be higher than those of conventional products. In the long term, however, these changes are unavoidable if we want to leave a planet worth living on to future generations. Under the given circumstances, there is not much time left to carry out the transformation of our consumer goods and consumer products.
Our project "Econergy" starts this summer with our compact filter HS-Mikro Pak 4V Econergy whose plastic components consist of more than 60% renewable raw materials. If we succeeded in replacing our total demand of plastics in this segment, we could save about 70 - 90 tons of polystyrene per year and thus reduce the consumption of fossil raw materials in this supply chain by more than 70%.
Sad fact on the side: the production of 1 kg of polystyrene requires about 10 kg of crude oil, 7.4 kg of natural gas and 0.14 kg of coal to extract it.
We would be pleased if you would support us in this mission. Your purchase decision allows us to consistently continue on this path.
We are professionals in producing HEPA and ULPA filters for more than 40 years now. Our experience with ePTFE membrane technology reaches back more than a decade.