A perfect sustainable recipe for Fissler’s premium cookware

The Fissler factory in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany produces over one million items of cookware a year. Its products have attracted a dedicated following thanks to their strong heritage of craftsmanship combined with a strong commitment to detail and quality. Fissler is distributed worldwide and the brand is renowned as the benchmark for the highest quality cookware. 

“Responsibility is at the heart of everything we do. Since 1845 we have been crafting finest and especially durable stainless steel products that last a lifetime. Our products are to a vast extent made of circular materials and we strive to make them even more sustainable step by step. This includes adopting fully recyclable packaging, switching to water-based coatings and further reducing the CO2 footprint of our factory and products.” says Sven Ullrich, Chief Marketing Officer at Fissler.

“We are finding a growing demand from customers who want products from us to be manufactured in the most sustainable way possible.  Sustainability is fast becoming an expectation but also our responsibility, and in that respect Fissler has always been ahead of the curve. That is why we were very keen to be an early adopter when Outokumpu told us about Circle Green.”

Sven Ullrich continues, “We want people to know that our products are sustainable in use. Stainless steel heats up quickly and retains heat very well, so it saves energy. And when they use a pressure cooker the energy savings can be up to 70 percent.”

Circle Green – a world first towards-zero stainless steel

Circle Green production is a world first that represents a significant step on the road to zero-carbon stainless steel. No other stainless steel manufacturer has been able to produce stainless steel with such low emission levels when taking into account all the climate emissions through the whole production chain (scopes 1, 2 & 3). It has the lowest carbon footprint in the industry — a reduction of up to 92 per cent when compared to the industry average.

To produce Circle Green, Outokumpu has reviewed and optimized the emissions from each production step from the stainless steel melt process and energy production to transport and raw material production. Green energy plays a significant role, along with the use of special raw materials, such as organic coke for ferro-chrome production, and optimized scrap management.

Mark Distelrath, Head of Global Purchasing & Supply Chain Management at Fissler, was responsible for the test program to verify the suitability of Circle Green. He says: “Fissler has relied on Outokumpu stainless steel for decades. So, when their experts told us we could adopt Circle Green with no impact on manufacturing or performance in use we had complete confidence that it would work. And they were right. It sailed through our battery of tests on how easy it was to produce, how it reacted to contact with food and how well it cooked. In fact, it did so well that we used what remained of the test material in production – some lucky customers already have pressure cookers made from Circle Green.”

Mark continues, “there is still a lot more that we would like to explore with Circle Green, such as how we handle the scrap from our production. While the scrap is of course recycled it is then mixed in with our general stainless steel scrap. It would be good to find a way to segregate it and return it to Outokumpu to maintain the Circle Green loop.”

Austenitic stainless steel

Circle Green is already available in grades including Outokumpu’s Moda, Core and Supra product ranges. The grade used by Fissler is an all-purpose product with good corrosion resistance and is suitable for a wide variety of applications that require good formability and weldability.

Currently, Fissler is planning to use Circle Green in a limited “hero” edition. It will then look at extending its use in the future.

Taking sustainable cookware to the next level

Sven Ullrich concludes, “The drive for sustainability requires strong partnerships throughout our supply chain. We have relied on Outokumpu’s stainless steel for decades. Now together we are taking Fissler’s sustainable cookware to the next level.”