WAGO Splicing Connector with Levers Green Range

The polycarbonate (PC) we use is certified according to the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification System (ISCC PLUS). ISCC PLUS is an internationally recognized certification scheme for the bioeconomy and circular economy covering feedstocks and products such as chemicals, plastics, packaging, textiles and renewable raw materials.

ISCC PLUS certification enables full traceability of materials throughout the supply chain. This is based on the mass balance approach (see “What Is Mass Balance?”). In our case, the mass balance approach ensures that 77% of the PC material used is attributed to bio-circular feedstocks. This means that 77% of the raw materials attributed to bio-circular feedstocks are used in the production of polycarbonate (PC). These feedstocks originate from industrial and household residues such as tall oil, used cooking oil and by-products from edible oil production.

In addition to the bio-circular polycarbonate (PC) used for the housings, we also use polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) derived from bio-circular sources for the levers of the 6 mm² splicing connectors and the inline splicing connector. This material is polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) derived from biogas.

Organic residues from agriculture, wastewater treatment and green waste are converted into biogas in specially designed fermentation facilities. From a chemical perspective, biogas is similar to natural gas, which, alongside petroleum, is used as a raw material for plastics. By using biogas, fossil resources can be conserved while creating certified, mass-balanced bio-circular PBT.

Products that are recycled from bio-based residues are called bio-circular. In the case of the PC material for the WAGO Splicing Connector with Levers Green Range, these are residues from forestry, edible fats or residues from the production of edible oils.

The bio-circular raw materials are imported together with the fossil raw materials at the beginning of the plastic production. In production, the bio-circular raw material mixes with the fossil raw material. The mass balance approach then allows a mathematical assignment of the various raw materials 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.

Environmental aspects have always played a role in the production of the WAGO Splicing Connector. For example, the original 221 Series Splicing Connector with levers consists of 75% PC (housing) and 25% PBT (lever). 35% of this is regranulate, which is produced during production and is recycled directly.

The WAGO Splicing Connector with Levers Green Range reduces the proportion of the original plastic. The amount of standard PC used is reduced to 17% (original 75%). The remaining 58% is replaced by a bio-circular PC. With the lever, the value could be lowered from 25% standard PBT to 18%. The remaining 7% will be replaced by recycled PBT. The proportion of regranulate from internally processed raw materials corresponds approximately to the value of the original splicing connector, at 29%.

No, the functionalities are identical to the standard 221 Series Splicing Connector.

Yes. The 221 Series Green Range reduces CO2 emissions at the product level. The Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) refers specifically to the manufacturing phase of the product. Information about product use, end-of-life treatment and other environmental aspects can be found in the relevant Environmental Product Declaration (EPD).

An Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) is a standardized and independently verified environmental product declaration. It is based on a scientific Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) that evaluates the entire product life cycle, from raw material extraction and manufacturing through use and disposal. EPDs comply with international standards such as EN 15804 and ISO 14025 and are recognized wherever these standards apply. An EPD enables transparent, comparable and verifiable environmental information. EPDs are commonly used in building design, public tenders and certification schemes such as DGNB, LEED and BREEAM.

By providing EPDs, WAGO offers transparent and reliable environmental information for selected products such as the Green Range. The data is standardized, externally verified and available through the product's Asset Administration Shell (AAS).

The product is technically identical and has the same approvals as the original 221 Series Splicing Connector.

Sustainability is gaining increased importance in social and legal discourse. This is also due to the fact the effects of climate change are also becoming more prominent. National and supra-national 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 the challenges of the future. 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 desire to report on successes and failures transparently.