Services
Our main areas of work.
Circular economy and raw materials
The original task of waste disposal was and is to minimize the potential of organisms and substances that are hazardous to humans or the environment. In addition, waste should be used as secondary resources as materially as possible, otherwise energy-efficient, in order to conserve primary resources.
BZL GmbH has been dealing with numerous aspects of the circular economy for years, from ecological issues (substance flow analyses in the context of approval issues or vulnerability analyses, eco-balance issues, climate relevance of measures) to health aspects (occupational health, environmental hygiene) and questions from legislation and enforcement to acceptance and communication. In our most recent projects, we have focussed on hazardous substances in the circular economy, particularly in plastics, and their contribution to a sustainable circular economy.
Energy and climate protection
In order to limit the global goal of the Paris Agreement to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius, or even no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius, Germany wants to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% from 1990 levels by 2030 and become largely greenhouse gas neutral in the long term – by 2050. According to the Federal Government’s Climate Protection Plan 2050, the transformation of the energy industry is of central importance. Other fields of action are buildings, transport, industry, agriculture and others.
BZL GmbH has been dealing with many facets of energy supply and climate protection for years, such as climate-relevant and other emissions of energy supply, renewable energies, energy efficiency and resource protection,mobility, the circular economy or municipal climate protection.
Chemical policy and sustainable chemistry
Chemical industry today has two faces. On the one hand, as a consumer of raw materials and energy, it is a major emitter and thus a cause of problems; on the other hand, “chemistry is sustainable if it makes a lasting contribution to sustainable development. A more precise definition of sustainable chemistry is not possible, because chemistry and its products are so diverse that there is always one specific aspect that is not hit, not hit correctly or not hit completely. Sustainable chemistry is both a path and a goal. It is not a new sub-discipline of chemistry, but a guiding principle that provides orientation. … Sustainable chemistry is based on the function required in each case. It requires knowledge of chemistry as a whole, goes far beyond the operational value chains and takes into account all those involved and affected along the life cycle of chemical products and their interaction. With this expanded view, the service concept (“chemistry for what and for whom”) comes to the fore as the basis of value creation … Sustainable chemistry opens up new business areas and offers manufacturers many advantages, e.g., when chemical leasing, services or digitization do not require production expansion or reduce the need for and thus dependence on raw materials….”(Prof. Klaus Kümmerer, 2017, translation by BZL GmbH).
BZL GmbH has been working on numerous aspects of (sustainable) chemistry for years, from chemical policy to international chemicals management and resource efficiency in the chemical industry. In our recent projects we have dealt with Sound Management of Chemicals and Waste (SMCW) and the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management = SAICM, with the interfaces between chemicals, product and waste legislation, with green or sustainable chemistry or with hazardous substances in „Circular Economy“. In 2017 and 2018, BZL GmbH was involved in the preparation and implementation of two national preparatory workshops (= technical discussions) of the Federal Environment Agency on Emerging Policy Issues (EPI) in the context of SAICM (Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management).
The project “Beyond 2020: Sustainable Chemistry as orientation and pace maker for Sound Management of Chemicals and Waste (SMCW)”, commissioned by the German Federal Environment Agency, aimed to develop indicators to measure progress towards sustainable chemistry and sustainability-oriented chemicals management. These indicators are intended to enable verification of progress towards the targets currently being developed and discussed as part of the SAICM and SMCW post-2020 intersessional process.
Since early 2025, BZL GmbH has been working as part of a consortium on a project that will promote sustainable chemistry as part of the global transformation in line with the UN Agenda 2030. The research project “Roadmap to 2030” (client: Federal Environment Agency, FKZ: 3724 65 701 0) aims to identify and prepare possible contributions by Germany to the implementation of the GFC. See also our announcement of April 8, 2025.
Resources
Careful and at the same time efficient use of natural resources will be a key competence of sustainable societies or companies. Natural resources are renewable and non-renewable primary raw materials for substantial use, energy resources (energy raw materials, flowing resources for energetic use, radiation energy), environmental media such as water, air, and land/soil used for agriculture and forestry, ecosystem services such as the sink function of environmental media (soil, water, air) and biodiversity (VDI ZRE: Natural Resources). In addition to non-renewable raw materials, the resources biodiversity and soil affected by erosion are considered non-renewable according to the Federal Environment Agency (UBA: Glossary on resource protection) (in German).
For years, BZL GmbH has been dealing with the various aspects of the use or utilization of resources, such as resource or energy efficiency, the use of waste as secondary raw materials, the utilization of environmental media or the protection and promotion of biodiversity. In this context, we have also been involved in the work of the VDI Zentrum Ressourcen Effizienz to standardize the methodology for determining resource efficiency.
Sustainability and CSR
“CSR is the responsibility of companies for their impact on society.”
EU Directive 2014/95/EU
In 2015, the United Nations adopted its 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) agenda. The SDGs explicitly call on all companies to use their creativity and innovation potential to meet the challenges of sustainable development. The expectations of many investors have also changed significantly: they no longer measure the success and performance of companies not only by EBITDA and shareholder value, but also increasingly by the so-called ESG criteria (environment, social and governance). Investors are also increasingly paying attention to how well companies are prepared for new requirements such as the transition to a low carbon economy, opportunities such as urbanisation or digitalisation, but also risks such as climate change or human rights problems in the supply chain. In the meantime, credit rating agencies and funds even assess companies according to their long-term value to society – e.g. what contribution they make to the achievement of individual SDGs. A corresponding rating is again attractive for companies, because they can benefit from more favourable financing conditions, for example.
Sources of information for investors and financial institutions, but also for civil society organisations, for example, are ratings, inclusion in appropriate funds and sustainability reports prepared in accordance with international standards. In the EU, the “CSR Directive” (Directive 2014/95/EU with regard to the disclosure of non-financial and diversity-related information) has also made to date purely voluntary reporting on ESG issues mandatory for large, listed companies. For many years, many companies that are aware of their social responsibility have already reported on these topics in their own sustainability reports or integrated annual reports.
For almost 25 years, BZL GmbH has been advising and supporting companies in setting up their sustainability management and in preparing their sustainability reports.
International affairs
Addressing global environmental problems such as climate change or the ubiquitous spread of pollutants such as mercury or POPs requires a common, coordinated approach at international level. BZL GmbH offers technical support in the development of policy goals, strategies and programmes as well as their implementation.