Environmental History

Environmental history
1960 and earlier Resources – The OSRAM glassplants (Augsburg and Berlin) use broken glass from lamp bulb production as a secondary raw material.
1963 Safety – OSRAM is one of the first lamp manufacturers to dispense with the carcinogenic metal, beryllium, in luminescent materials.
1967 Emissions – At its Berlin glassplant, OSRAM converts from generator gas to electric heating in lead glass production, and to heating oil in tube glass furnaces. Generator gas was produced from lignite. Ground pollution from generator gas production was cleared up in 1991.
1972 Communication – The first OSRAM environment brochure focused on the problem of mercury in discharge lamps.
1975 Emissions – In the Augsburg glassplants, all glass furnaces are converted from heating oil to natural gas. This reduces annual sulphur dioxide emissions by 77%. The filter system for the lead glass furnace in Berlin goes into operation resulting in a 99% reduction in dust and lead emissions.
Resources – The Company reduces the diameter of fluorescent tubes, substantially reducing the quantity of gas and luminescent materials (7,200 t/year) while maintaining the same luminous intensity.
1980 Production – The use of arsenic and cadmium in luminescent materials is discontinued in the production of fluorescent lamps. OSRAM introduces the first electronic control gear for fluorescent lamps.
QUICKTRONIC30% energy savings per lamps.
1981 Recycling – The molybdenum recycling system goea into operation in the Berlin-Wedding plant.
1982 Cap separation – The Prototype Cap separation, a machine for recycling fluorescent lamps, was developed in 1981 and received a operation licence in 1982.
1985 Products – OSRAM launches the DULUX EL “energy saver” with integrated electronic control gear.
1990 Management – OSRAM groups the responsibilities for corporate environmental protection in the Central Office for Environmental and Radiation Protection. Publication of the first Environmental Protection Manual and specification of environmental protection directives.
1991 Climate protection – OSRAM starts to convert from chloro(fluoro)carbons to aqueous media in its processes for cleaning and degreasing small lamp components (conversion completed in 1993).
1993 Recycling – The molybdenum recycling system at the Berlin-Wedding plant is expanded to include a pickling acid recycling system, saving 180,000 litres acid per year.
1995 Management – An updated version of the Environmental Protection Manual is produced.
Award – The Berlin Environmental Protection Award is presented for the molybdenum recycling plant by the Senate Administration for Urban Development and Environmental Protection.
Communication – The company publishes its first Environment Report.
1996 Management – An updated version of the Environmental Management Manual is produced.
Awards – OSRAM is awarded first prize in the environmentally compatible products category in a national competition for its development of the CITYLIGHT DS.
- Environmental Prize for Industry from the Federation of German Industry (BDI) and the European Better Environmen Award for Industry in the Eco Design category from UNEP and the European Commission.
- An ecologically advanced adhesive incandescent lamp package designed by OSRAM wins an award from the German Packaging Institute.
Certification – All OSRAM GmbH plants in Germany plants and the production facility in Molsheim (France) are certified in compliance with the EC Eco Audit Directive and received ISO 14001 certification in accordance with the international standard for environmental management systems..
1997 Award – The OSRAM semi-finished product plant in Berlin-Wedding receives a Siemens Environment Award.
1998 Certification – The Bari and Treviso plants in Italy and the glassplant in Wellsboro (USA) are certified to DIN EN ISO 14001 standards.
1999 Recycling – OSRAM presents a concept allowing all types of lamps to be completely recycled.
Emissions – OSRAM presen trading at concept for a pilot project on emissions at the UN Climate Protection Conference in Bonn.
2001 Resources – The packing factory in Mosheim goes into operation. Packaging to customer requirements is delayed until orders are actually received. Packing is low-energy and customer-orientated, reducing packaging material by 20%.
Emissions – OSRAM launches a project in the Moscow underground railway system in conjunction with TÜV-Süddeutschland. The Arbatskaya Station is equipped with energy saving compact fluorescent lamps. OSRAM is the first company to implement the emissions plan adopted at the UN Climate Protection Conference into a project..
2003 Award – OSRAM Foshan (China) receives the Siemens Environmental Award for environmentally friendly products and processes for its innovative system to dose mercury at the production of fluorescent lamps.
2004 Recycling – OSRAM, as sole producer of lamps, operates a plant in Bruntál, Czech Republic, that recycles everything that is used for the production of coils – acids, the metal molybdenum as well as the water for rinsing. This saves 100.000 cubic meters of fresh water and wastewater per year, which totals up to 600.000 full bathtubs.
2005 Award – Instead of the heavier glass reflector, the aluPAR56 halogen lamp has an aluminum reflector which is 60% lighter. This reduces transport costs and simplifies mounting. The aluPAR56 lamp received the Innovation Award of the UK-based Professional Lighting and Sound Association (PLASA) in 2004.
2006 Certification – 48 out of 52 OSRAM locations have yet received the ISO 14001 certificate which guarantees environmentally friends management systems.