Local sustainable initiatives

Our approach towards a sustainable future

We Electrify The Future, we believe in a future world that is safer and more sustainable for everyone. Locally we are committed too with products and services that will help you in the energy transition. We also contribute actively with initiatives to reduce our own carbon footprint, or that otherwise help towards a sustainable future.

Plant in Buizingen

Our Buizingen plant (Belgium) is ISO 14001-certified, the internationally accepted standard with requirements for an environmental management system. It helps us to actively translate the environmental policy into concrete objectives and to ensure their implementation as well.

For several years now, a few wind turbines have been operating on the site, making the factory in Buizingen the first Nexans location powered by wind energy. The two 2MW turbines provide an annual savings of 200,000 euros, and already 35% of the factory's electricity needs are met with wind energy. 

Sustainable Water Management in Our Production Processes

Water is essential for cooling in the industrial cable production process. Nexans takes responsibility for water usage by implementing various technologies, including leak detectors that provide precise monitoring. At our factory in Buizingen, we have invested in a closed cooling system, allowing cooling water to circulate without exposure to external contaminants and eliminating discharge. This reduces our impact on natural water resources and prevents thermal stress on the environment.

Since evaporation is inevitable during cooling, we replenish the system with rainwater collected from our factory roof and reuse it in our closed cooling system. This allows us to save approximately 30% of our total water usage (*), while enhancing efficiency and maintaining production quality.(*dependent on the amount of rainfall)

Making packaging more sustainable

Film packaging

As the first major cable manufacturer in the Benelux region, Nexans has modified the film packaging of its cable rolls. Moving forward, a more sustainable film made with 30% recycled plastic will be used, which is estimated to save 10,000 kg of CO2-equivalent per year. To offset this saving with trees, approximately 300 trees would need to be planted!

Drums & pallets

In the production of new drums and pallets, we opt for PEFC certified wood. Additionally, Nexans strives to reuse as many pallets and drums as possible, reducing the need to produce new ones. For this reason, Nexans actively collects empty drums from customers and partners. reels are transported to the factory in parts, reducing annual transport movements as a complete reel takes up more space than its components.

Circular Plastics Alliance

Since 2022, Nexans has been a member of the Circular Plastics Alliance, an organisation that strives to reduce the unnecessary use of plastic and the use of petroleum plastic with at least 40%. With this, Nexans wants to actively contribute to accelerating the development of recycling plastic.

Nexans does this by incorporating more recycled materials in products and packaging. But also by teaming up with partners and customers to innovatively recycle more packaging materials. This way, Nexans contributes to creating a better world. Read more in the full press release about Nexans and the Circular Plastics Alliance.

Nexans also emphasizes sustainability in its other products. For example, our MOBIWAY MOB click-and-coll system is largely made from recycled material and the flange set can be reused repeatedly. The N-LINE prewired tubes contain more than 30% recycled material and is completely halogen-free.

Read more about sustainablity in our packaging materials.

More sustainable local initiatives

• Nexans uses PEFC-certified wood for its big drums. This is an independent certification promoting sustainable maintenance of forests and trees from outside of forests. Additionally, drums are transported to the factory in parts, reducing annual transport movements;
• Our N-LINE® prewired tubes are made of 30% recycled plastic;
• Nexans takes action to extend the life span of pallets and drums by actively collecting empty drums from customers and partners. Upon return, all these items undergo thorough inspection and, if necessary, repairs are carried out before they are reused;
• Last year, Nexans has replaced all lamps in multiple plants by more sustainable LED lamps. The goal is to do the same for all plants.