When Otto Zschimmer and Max Schwarz founded a chemical wholesale company in 1894 and began producing their own chemicals in 1909, the world was a completely different place. In fact, the story of Zschimmer & Schwarz is linked to that of Germany and to the constant changes that the planet has experienced.
Originally founded in Chemnitz, the company relocated its headquarters to Lahnstein following the division of Germany after World War II and began its international expansion in France.
Finally, with German reunification, the company was able to return to its Saxon roots with the founding of Zschimmer & Schwarz Mohsdorf GmbH in 1993.
Today, with 1,600 employees and 30 companies in 17 countries on 5 continents, the Zschimmer & Schwarz, is a leader in specialty chemicals, supplying its products to a wide variety of industries.
A sector, the chemist who is increasingly aware of their responsibility towards the environment, looking for new ways to synthesize substances without harming the environment.
From the subsidiary of the German group in Castellón, which has been offering "customized chemistry" to its customers for more than 20 years; we spoke with Pedro Hernández, manager of Zschimmer & Schwarz Spain.
– The chemical industry has traditionally had a bad press, it was associated with emissions, pollution... what is true?
– When they talk to me about that paradigm, I think of the factories of the 19th century. After World War II, the situation changed completely. The closest example we have is the German chemical industry, since after that period, they worked a lot on the elimination of emissions; Focusing on each time, their production centers are cleaner and more sustainable.
Our factory in Germany, or our Spanish subsidiary, have nothing to do with what you say, emissions are very limited.
– How do you assess the commitment to sustainability of the sector in Spain and specifically, in your company, what aspects are you focusing on?
– In Spain, chemical companies generally have not had much of a tradition, but the big German companies, as I told you, have been betting on sustainability for a long time.
As a subsidiary of a German chemical company, at Zschimmer & Schwarz Spain we have spent many years working on this issue, based on two fronts of action: energy saving and development.
On the one hand, we try to reduce our carbon footprint as much as possible; spending less energy and incorporating green energy, such as solar panels. Last May we installed 612 plates on the roof of our warehouse to self-consume 87% of the energy generated. And for this reason, 18% of our annual electricity consumption comes from renewable energy, specifically solar.
The collection of containers is another of our major lines of action. When we negotiate with our clients the sale of any product, we always keep in mind the possibility of sending it to them, picking it up and reusing it.
On the other hand, we develop chemical products that are much more sustainable: biodegradable, that have water in their composition instead of mineral oils, etc. This requires a greater effort, but allows us to open many lines of research and development.
– In addition, natural resources are increasingly scarce and limited, what alternatives are there for your raw materials?
– In the chemical industry we are especially reducing the use of natural resources, such as natural oils; and resorting to synthetic products. This is the case, for example, of esters, a substance that is formed when an acid is combined with an alcohol and the water is extracted. That is the great advantage that I see in chemistry. We are developing a series of new products, phasing out the use of resources.
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– What is your policy on the waste you generate?
– We try to generate as little waste as possible; and we have an agreement with an atomizer that reuses them. We are at the center of the ceramic cluster in Castellón, a cluster that is highly developed at the circular economy level, because emissions are low, they are non-polluting and they reuse almost everything they generate.
– Technological innovations are closely linked to these aspects of sustainability, what are you currently working on?
– We focus on developing more sustainable alternatives to traditional products. For example, inkjet inks were made with mineral oils, which were polluting and problematic. The next step was to produce them with fatty acid esters, greatly improving the issue of sustainability and pollution.
In fact, we were the first company in the entire ceramic sector worldwide that began to produce inks in this way. But the next step, which we already have prepared, is to replace fatty acid esters with water-based inks.
This will cost a little more, because the technology at the mechanical level is not adapted yet. The injectors that are currently used work with electricity, and obviously the use of water does not go well. But we will arrive at this evolution in the inks, since they went on the market in 2010.
– What other projects do you have for 2022?
– This first quarter we are going to see how the world situation evolves, because right now it is deeply unstable. We are suffering a lot from the skyrocketing prices of products, energy costs and the lack of raw materials.
For this reason, the first quarter of the year is going to be difficult. During this period, we are going to work a lot in the laboratory to solve the costs and the lack of raw materials. We think that in the second quarter things will improve. We are considering new products in the medium and long term, especially if we are better in June, which we hope will be.
– You recently did a renovation in your Spanish headquarters, what can you tell us?
– We have renovated the entire lower part of our offices and we have also created an entire experience for the client. We are clear that we have to be close to customers; so that when they visit our facilities, they feel part of a company with 128 years of life. Knowing perfectly what we have been and what we are.
– How can such a scientific sector be brought closer to ordinary consumers?
– Working a lot in the networks and having a profile in the team like Dr. Carmina Alfonso, our head of Technical Assistance at Personal Care & Cleaning, who is very active on LinkedIn. All the posts he publishes about chemistry are aimed at ordinary people.
Together with the Universitat Jaume I, we also launched the Z&S School and a podcast in which experts from the sector and other related areas share their experience and knowledge to overcome the challenges of the industry together. It is important that chemistry is accessible to everyone and to explain things so that they are understandable to everyone. As I say to my people: “explain everything to me as if I were ten years old”. That's what it's all about. Our idea is to continue in this direction.
– It is curious in the number of everyday products in which your Group is present and the qualities that your developments provide...
– Yes, we are talking about cosmetic products that nourish the skin; footwear with which the feet never get wet; detergents that not only wash, but also take care of clothes; colorful tiles and at the same time, easy to maintain... Although we have always kept ourselves in the background, Zschimmer & Schwarz supplies a wide range of industries with auxiliary chemicals and tailor-made specialties, which allow the development of more innovative, effective, robust, versatile and efficient products.
