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New paths, new goals

Use of resources at ZEISS

Responsible use of resources

Natural resources are finite. With its Circular Economy North Star, ZEISS is pursuing its long-term ambition of preserving the value of products, components, and materials for as long as possible and using resources as efficiently as possible. ZEISS takes a holistic approach to this: from considering durability, repairability, and material selection in product development, through continuously improving resource efficiency in manufacturing, to repair and reuse of products and components, all with the ultimate goal of further reducing global energy and water consumption as well as waste generation.

See our latest Sustainability Report for further information on activities and progress.

Path to greater resource efficiency

To avoid losing heart on the journey to a sustainable future, it helps to celebrate successes. ZEISS has already achieved a great deal along the way. These are our biggest milestones as of the end of fiscal 2024/25.
  • 68%

    reduction in CO₂ emissions1

  • 34%

    reduction in energy consumption (relative to value added)1

  • 55%

    reduction in water consumption (relative to value added)1

  • 49%

    reduction in waste (relative to value added)1

Portrait of Giovanni Mateus Rocha Santos von der Vison in a white shirt against a light gray background.

Our progress in the area of the circular economy reflects our cross-functional commitment worldwide. By pooling expertise from across the company, we are turning sustainability goals into tangible results - from reducing water consumption to increasing the use of certified recycled materials in our products.

Giovanni Mateus Rocha Santos Head of EHS Management and Lead Sustainability in Operations, Zeiss Vision International
Three round plano sunglasses with light green, orange, and dark olive lenses rest on a white surface with leaf shadows.

Selected materials and manufacturing processes for plano sunglass lenses

ZEISS Vision implements selected sustainability measures for plano sunglass lenses by combining materials certified to the RedCert2 and ISCC+ standards, electricity from renewable energy sources, mass balance, and independent certification systems. This can help reduce the product’s carbon footprint for the defined product configuration, reference scenario, and scope of assessment, while maintaining the same performance characteristics as conventional lens materials under the defined test conditions.

  • Fossil feedstocks are partially replaced by certified bio-based and bio-circular raw materials from agriculture and forestry, thereby reducing dependence on primary fossil resources.
  • ZEISS Vision uses electricity from renewable energy sources throughout the entire production process at the named production sites. Both production sites in Italy and China were powered solely by electricity from renewable energy sources during the defined reporting period, which helps reduce the lenses’ carbon footprint.

Circular economy from a scientific perspective

Interview with Prof. Joachim Mayer from RWTH Aachen University.

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