Annual press conference:
Environment Programme - Milestone 2005

Environmental targets for 2007 already exceeded – efficiency increase prevents growing energy cost

tesa AG has again improved its energy balance in fiscal 2005. All in all the consumption of solvents in relation to produced area has been reduced by 42 % since the implementation of the environment programme in 2002. In relation to constant production volumes, energy consumption fell by 25 % in the same period. This means that tesa has already now exceeded the environmental targets set for the year 2007. The success underlines that tesa is continuously and efficiently implementing its environment programme also in difficult times and has also acted economically provident: in view of noticeably rising energy costs the consistent implementation of this strategy will contribute significantly towards an improved competitiveness of the company in the years to come. The reduction in the use of solvents is primarily attributable to the successful implementation of solvent-free production technologies developed and utilized by tesa.

Energy consumption of the tesa Group in Germany

At this time the biggest tesa plant in Offenburg already produces
60 % of all self-adhesive tapes solvent free. In 2005 additional products were converted to the tesa-developed and –patented solvent-free coating technology. At the plant in Sparta / USA extensive measures were implemented to increase the energy efficiency and to reduce emissions. At the Hamburg-Hausbruch plant commissioning of novel tesa-developed laminating equipment contributed to a further efficiency increase.

In September tesa AG received the Environment Award 2005 sponsored by Bundesdeutscher Arbeitskreis für Umweltbewusstes Management B.A.U.M. (German Federal Working Committee for Environmentally Conscious Management) for the consistent and successful implementation of an effective and integrated environmental management system.

The factory in Sparta / USA was another non-European tesa location after Malaysia to be successfully certified in accordance with the international Environmental Standard ISO 14001. In this way tesa has strengthened its position as a partner to industry operating world wide on the basis of exacting standards. The certification of the tesa plants in India and Singapore is still to follow in 2006.

At this time tesa is working on a new 5-year environmental programme with ambitious targets that will incorporate all tesa locations world wide as of 2007 and will also include VOC
emissions caused by volatile organic substances.