Working together for the environment
We take our responsibility to protect and preserve a healthy environment very seriously. Already in the product development phase, we are guided by considerations for environmentally friendly business operations. Partners and suppliers are critical to achieving sustainability, which is why we include them in our endeavours. We also actively involve our employees, promote awareness, provide regular training and ensure transparent communication of the outcomes of our efforts. In addition, we are committed to:
keeping our environmental impact as low as possible within the limits of what is economically and technically feasible
to climate-conscious business activity and to further improvements in our environmental management
complying with legal requirements and other obligations
subjecting our activities to regular and independent monitoring and certification
keeping our environmental impact as low as possible within the limits of what is economically and technically feasible
to climate-conscious business activity and to further improvements in our environmental management
complying with legal requirements and other obligations
subjecting our activities to regular and independent monitoring and certification
Targeted emissions reductions
Our CO₂ emissions and the climate protection projects that we support relate to Ifolor AG, the operating site in Switzerland. These two areas are covered by the "Swiss Climate Label". ifolor continuously adapts its measures to reduce energy consumption and consistently ensures the correct recycling of cardboard and printing paper waste. Furthermore, ifolor has set itself the long-term strategic goal of reducing CO₂ emissions by 50% by 2020, with reference to the base year 2011. This target was already achieved in 2016. Compared to the base year, CO₂ emissions had even been reduced by 54% by then. This first target period has therefore been successfully completed. We are now embarking on a new target path. We have set ourselves an ambitious target: to achieve a further 30% reduction in CO₂ emissions by 2023 compared to the new base year 2020. We are constantly working to optimize our waste concept and source 100% of our electricity from Swiss hydropower. In 2024, ifolor will be awarded the "Swiss Climate Label" by Swiss Climate for the 13th time. This includes the operationally relevant emission sources for the manufacture of the products: Chemicals (incl. inks and varnish), heating energy, electricity, paper and water consumption, business travel, commuting by our employees and waste. However, the photo products themselves are not considered here. A life cycle assessment (ISO standard 14044) of the photo products is planned.
Emissions from business heating Compared to the reference year 2020, emissions from our heating system in 2023 fell by 50% and by 30% compared to the previous year. Optimized heating settings helped us achieve this good result.
Emissions from paper and printing We have our advertising flyers printed on recycled paper in the most climate-friendly way possible. Here, too, we have been able to optimize and reduce emissions.
Emissions from electricity n 2023, we consumed significantly less electricity and were thus able to reduce emissions by 16% compared to the reference year 2020. Purchasing electrical energy from 100% Swiss hydropower helps us to keep emissions low in general.
In line with the new target period with a base year of 2020, the system boundaries of Ifolor AG were updated in the 2021 financial year.
- Energy provision: Energy provision encompasses indirect emissions from the production of electricity, heating energy and fuels. Emissions from the provision of energy reflect best practice, not just at industrial companies but across all sectors.
- Commuting: The indicators “Working from home, percentage” and “Energy consumption, working from home” have been added. This change was made because the Covid-19 pandemic and the resulting Federal Council order to work from home had a major impact on commuting patterns.
- Climate-neutral paper and print jobs: Unlike in the previous target period, the use of climate-neutral print jobs and paper is taken into account when calculating the carbon footprint. This amount is then deducted from the volume to be offset.
- Photographic inks: In the new target period, photographic inks (water-based inks and UV-curable inks) are now also included in the chemicals category. This means that we are up to date in the calculation of our CO₂ emissions and comparability across sectors is assured. Consequently, we also group all inks used under the chemicals used. In this respect, we have broadened the scope, also including in the calculation substances that remain in the product.
Our climate-conscious business
We measure all consumption required to manufacture our products, such as chemicals (incl. inks, varnish), energy, electricity, paper and water consumption, business travel, commuting and waste. We offset the emissions calculated from the consumption by supporting the two climate protection projects. This gives us a climate-conscious business. We have had our CO₂ management independently audited by Swiss Climate AG since 2012 and are re-certified "Swiss Climate Label" every year.
Environmentally friendly products
We believe that making the production of our products more environmentally friendly is essential to ensuring long-term environmental sustainability. Therefore, sustainability is just as much a focus when procuring products from external suppliers as it is when making the photo products. We also strive to design durable products, which we do by producing items of the highest quality. Users are then able to enjoy our products for longer, with no need to buy a replacement. We currently offer the following range of environmentally friendly products:
Picture frames
The picture frames from ifolor are made from durable solid wood, 1.2 cm thick and therefore particularly stable. The lime wood comes from a forestry in Europe, the oak wood from one in the USA.
Photo poster frames
The frames for the matt or glossy photo posters are also made from durable solid wood and are 1.2 cm thick. The lime wood comes from a forestry operation in Europe, the oak wood from one in the USA.
Photo T-Shirt
The high-quality T-Shirt is made from 100% organic certified cotton. The T-shirt is characterised by the 180 g/m2 strong and durable material and ensures a comfortable wearing feeling.
Poster Hanger
The wooden strips of the ifolor poster moulding are made of durable solid wood and will therefore last a very long time. The oak wood used comes from forestry in the USA.
Easel calendar
The easel calendar with wooden stand is both elegant and sustainable. The wooden stand is made of European oak, and the monthly cards are made of wood-free natural paper.
Photo Flip
In April 2022, the plastic stand for the photo flip book was replaced by an environmentally friendly cardboard stand. The plastic cover sheet was also replaced by a transparent paper.
Wall calendar
Recently, we removed the plastic cover sheet from our wall calendars. This change makes our calendars completely plastic-free and a more eco-friendly choice.
Packaging for blanket and towel
Since the end of June 2023, our popular photo blankets and photo bath towels have been printed directly on site in Kreuzlingen. In addition, we have replaced our previous packaging with completely plastic-free packaging to further reduce our plastic waste.
Long live upcycling: photo magnet giveaways made from recycled materials
With every photo magnet order, you will not only receive your chosen photo magnets, but also two additional ones made from leftover materials. Create a personal gallery of your favourite moments with our unique photo magnets.
ifolor’s CEO Hannes Schwarz “As a family-run company, we have lived and breathed photography since 1961. Environmentally friendly development and production on site according to Swiss quality standards is a tradition with us".
Andreas Schmidt, Head of Quality Management Systems “We are renowned for carefully crafted, high-quality products and guaranteed satisfaction.”
Andreas Schmidt, Head of Quality Management Systems “We are renowned for carefully crafted, high-quality products and guaranteed satisfaction.”
On Earth Day, which took place on 22 April 2024, we launched our first Clean Up Day initiative in Kreuzlingen. This is part of our ongoing commitment to social responsibility at ifolor. Environmental awareness is particularly important to us as a manufacturing and resource-consuming company. We also believe that even small measures can lead to significant changes. In our endeavour to offset our impact on the environment, a total of 15 employees took part in the Clean Up campaign and collected waste in the vicinity of the ifolor headquarters in Kreuzlingen.
Social commitment to climate protection project
Sustainability is anchored in ifolor's overarching corporate philosophy. By investing in swiss climate protection projects and saving resources within the company, we are making our contribution to environmentally aware living and a sustainable future. The greenhouse gas emissions generated by our business operations are compensated as a percentage amount to the respective climate protection project of Swiss Climate. This amount is calculated from the amount of CO₂ generated in the corresponding reporting period. These are the projects we support:
Forest climate protection in Quinten (Switzerland)ifolor supports the forest climate protection project in Quinten, which ensures sustainable forest management and climate protection in Switzerland. The program combines several projects, as it ensures CO₂ storage and the sustainable management of over 160,000 hectares of forest throughout Switzerland. This protects the climate and preserves biodiversity in the Swiss forest.
Energy-efficient stoves in Ghana ifolor supports this project, which uses specially developed, efficient stoves to help families in Ghana drastically reduce their need for firewood. These energy-efficient stoves reduce health risks, create jobs, decrease greenhouse gas emissions, and protect forests and biodiversity.
Protecting and preserving biodiversity in Indonesiaifolor supports this project, which protects the swamp rainforest in the south of the island of Borneo from the threat of being cleared by the palm oil industry. This project makes an important contribution to climate protection project by ensuring the storage of more than 4.5 million tonnes of CO₂ per year and therefore serves as a global beacon for sustainability.
More information about the project
We like to give something back to our planet via our Happy Hour campaigns. Read about the fundraising activities that have already taken place and the active contribution we make to preserving a sustainable planet.
Swiss Climate Label
We have been awarded this certificate - based on the international ISO 14064 standard - since 2012 for our commitment to strive for continuous improvement of our greenhouse gas balance in line with Swiss Climate. As we are aware of our responsibility for a healthy environment, we attach importance to an environmentally conscious use of natural resources in our daily operations. For more information on the "Swiss Climate Label", go to www.swissclimate.ch .
ISO 14001:2015
In 2022, we received this certificate – based on the international ISO 14001:2015 standard – for our excellent and thorough organisation in setting up and implementing our environmental management system. Our commitment to environmental issues is part of this integrated management system and is constantly being developed and optimised. You can find further information on the “ISO 14001:2015” label at https://www.sqs.ch/de/dienstleistungen/produkte/iso-140012015
Interesting facts about sustainability
Read our sustainability blogs on the Inspiration page.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
ifolor carries out fundraising activities as part of its Happy Hour campaigns. Click here to see what fundraising activities we do.
Poster Hanger
The wooden strips of your ifolor poster board are made of durable solid wood and will last a very long time. The lime and oak wood come from an European forest and was manufactured in the EU.
Photo T-Shirt
The high-quality T-Shirt is made from 100% organic cotton. The T-shirt is characterised by the 180 g/m2 strong and durable material and ensures a comfortable wearing feeling.
Easel Calendar:
The easel calendar with wooden stand is a noble and environmentally conscious product. The wooden stand is made of European oak wood and the monthly cards are made of wood-free natural paper.
Photo Flip:
As of April 2022, the previous plastic stand for the Fotoflip has been replaced by a more environmentally conscious material such as cardboard. The plastic cover film was also replaced by a transparent paper.
Wall calendar:
About two years ago, the plastic cover sheet on the wall calendars was replaced with a stiffer cover page. This means that our calendars are completely plastic-free.
The business operations surrounding the creation of our products are climate-conscious. This means that we measure all the consumption required to manufacture the products, such as waste, chemicals, business trips and electricity. We offset the emissions calculated from the consumption by supporting climate projects. Since 2012, we have had our CO₂ management independently audited by Swiss Climate AG and are certified as "Swiss Climate Label" every year.
You can read more about the climate protection project supported by ifolor here.
In 2013, ifolor switched to sourcing all of its electricity from Swiss hydropower. Since 2012, ifolor has focused on the systematic collection and recycling of paper and cardboard waste, and it implemented a comprehensive waste concept in the same year.