WAGO Splicing Connector with Levers – Green Range

Sustainability is gaining increased importance in social and legal discourse. This is also due to the fact the effects of climate change are becoming more prominent. National and supranational objectives provide the direction, for example, for climate protection goals. Regulatory requirements also have an increasing impact – including the Supply Chain Due Diligence Act and the upcoming EU requirement for sustainability reporting. But regardless of these external developments, we are also convinced that sustainable business is the foundation for long-term success and an indispensable element of corporate responsibility – an attitude that the CEO, management and shareholders fully support. WAGO has participated in the UN Global Compact sustainability initiative since 2012 [1], an endeavor by companies committed to universal sustainability principles, and has voluntarily reported its progress since then. In 2021, we launched our sustainability strategy process with a comprehensive sustainability analysis to establish sustainability in the company in a binding and extensive way; during the process, we set ambitious goals.

As an industrial manufacturing company, we need resources and energy to produce and operate our products. We recognize that this makes us part of the problem when we consider future challenges. Therefore, it is all the more important for us to be part of the solution and assume responsibility as a company and an employer in an integrated way. For this purpose, we have strategically anchored environmental and social sustainability within the WAGO structure. Every entrepreneurial decision is evaluated in coordination with the sustainability program, and the entire supply chain is considered. Nothing is too small or insignificant on this path; every step in the right direction counts. This attitude also allows us to empower and motivate our employees. We also wish to report on successes and failures transparently.

Until now, we have been processing plastics made from fossil raw materials. Part of the fossil molecule chains in the PC and PBT plastic types are replaced by polymers obtained from bio-based residues from industrial and household use and post-consumer waste. With WAGO's Green Range Splicing Connector with levers, we now use plastics made partly from bio-circular material (77% polycarbonate) and recycled material (at least 27% post-consumer PET in PBT). In addition, we package the connectors in a carton made of grass paper. Copper, spring steel and the production are identical to the standard 221 Series Splicing Connector.

The polycarbonate we use is certified under the “International Sustainability and Carbon Certification System” (ISCC Plus). ISCC PLUS is an international certification system that applies to the bioeconomy and the circular economy for food, feed, chemicals, plastics, packaging, textiles and renewable raw materials originating from a process with renewable energy sources. The mass balance is one of the chain of custody options that ISCC PLUS could certify (see “What is mass balance?”). ISCC Plus certification allows complete traceability of the materials used throughout the entire supply chain. In our case, the mass balance ensures that 77% of the PC material is linked to bio-circular materials. This means that 77% of the raw materials linked to the biogenic residues (bio-circular) are used for PC production. These are residual materials from industry and households, such as tall oil, used fats and by-products from cooking oil production.

The bio-circular raw materials are imported with the fossil raw materials at the beginning of plastic production. In production, the bio-circular raw material mixes with the fossil raw material. The mass balance approach then enables the various raw materials to be mathematically assigned to specific plastic materials.

Thus, mass-balanced materials are materials for whose production biobased raw materials or precursors were demonstrably used materially (i.e., not energetically), without their biogenic carbon being reliably detectable in the end product. The proportion of certified renewable (bio-based) raw materials is assigned to specific products based on the assignment requirements.

In addition to bio-circular PC and PBT made from recycled PET bottles, we are now utilizing another type of plastic that relies on alternative bio-circular sources. The PBT used in the 6 mm² WAGO 221 Series Splicing Connector and the WAGO 221 Series Inline Splicing Connector is derived from biogas.

But what does that mean exactly? Organic residues – such as agricultural waste, wastewater treatment byproducts and green waste – are converted into biogas in specialized fermentation facilities. Chemically, biogas is similar to natural gas, which, alongside crude oil, serves as a raw material for plastic production. By using biogas, we can conserve fossil resources while creating a mass-balanced, certified and bio-circular PBT.

At least 27% of the new material is made from post-consumer PET bottles diverted from the waste stream. PET bottles (Ocean Bound Plastic/Land Source) are discarded into the environment worldwide, polluting nature. This pollution occurs in waterways, coastlines, beaches and other areas, particularly where recycling systems are lacking. To convert PET bottles into polymers, they must be collected, cleaned and shredded. The shredded bottles are then re-polymerized into PBT through a chemical upcycling process known as “depolymerization,” which involves adding a solvent, petroleum-based molecules, glass fibers and flame retardants. The result is a recycled PBT that retains the same technical properties as conventional PBT.

Products made from recycled bio-based residues are referred to as bio-circular. For example, the PC material used in WAGO's Green Range Splicing Connector with levers comes from residues such as forestry by-products, edible fats or the production of edible oils.

The metals used, such as copper and spring steel, remain the same as in conventional products. These metals are predominantly sourced from recycled scrap. Currently, we cannot offer a product with a higher (and therefore 100% recycled) content. Non-scrap components included are crucial alloy elements required to maintain our products' technical capabilities and quality.

Technically, the product is identical to the original 221 Series Splicing Connector and holds the same approvals.

No, the functionality of the connector remains the same as that of the standard 221 Series Splicing Connector.

With the Green Range, we reduce CO₂ emissions at the product level. The emissions are accessible via the digital product passport (Asset Administration Shell, AAS).