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fischer, in response to the growing trend of circular economy, now produces the cartridges of its injection mortar FIS V Zero from more than 50% post-consumer recyclates (PCR), such as plastic waste from end users. This has now also further optimised the packaging of the universal mortar, which already sets standards in terms of environmental and processor protection thanks to its label-free recipe.

The fastening specialist is converting all available FIS V Zero product variants with 360ml and 300ml content to the new packaging materials. The 150ml version is also being introduced, which will be produced from the start with cartridges made from recycled material. The new 150ml variant is aimed specifically at home users, who often have only a few fastening points and, thanks to the small container, have no unnecessary mortar residue.

The FIS V Zero injection mortar in cartridges made from more than 50% post-consumer recyclates is also, the company highlights, the world's first injection mortar that is label-free in accordance with the EU Chemicals Regulation CLP. This means that the product protects the environment and the health of the processors and building users.

FIS V Zero, fischer states, achieves the same performance characteristics as other universal mortars. To achieve this, fischer is using a new hardening system for the first time in the FIS V Zero product. No peroxides are used, meaning there is no need for hazard warnings. This mechanism, in combination with the use of label-free raw materials, ensures that the FIS V Zero is label-free even under the strict requirements of the current EU Chemicals Regulation CLP.

An award winning formula

The ‘eurofins Indoor Air Comfort Gold’ certificate certifies that the injection mortar meets the highest requirements for keeping indoor air quality clean in terms of VOC (volatile organic compounds) content and VOC emissions. In addition, the product is certified according to the ‘Nordic Swan Ecolabel’, the official environmental label of the Nordic countries, which identifies particularly environmentally friendly products. Other awards include the Baden-Württemberg Environmental Technology Award for its injection mortar FIS V Zero 2021 as first place in the ‘Emission Reduction, Processing and Separation’ category. This confirms the high degree of innovation of the chemical fastening solution in terms of environmental and processor protection.

The journey from the idea to implementation

fischer started looking into the use of sustainable cartridges early on. "On the way to our cartridges made from recycled material, we mastered many challenges in our development at our site in Denzlingen and explored various possibilities," recalls Amir Assadi, developer in the fischer business unit chemistry. "We had already tested the use of wood-polymer materials (WPC) in 2013. We then explored the market acceptance of post-industrial recyclates (PIR) and mass-balanced plastics made from alternative raw materials. We even investigated the mechanical processing of empty injection mortar cartridges."

A fischer feasibility study on the return of empty containers showed that the re-acquisition and reprocessing of the company's own empty cartridges from large construction sites opens up new perspectives for more resource protection and recycling. One disadvantage, however, is additional transport routes. In its pilot project, the fastening expert had taken the time and effort to retrieve empty cartridges from construction sites and reprocess them with a service provider: labels were removed, the cartridges shredded into flakes, washed and melted into new plastic granulate.

The advantages of centralised systems are fewer transport routes and the processing of larger quantities of recycled material with economies of scale in terms of labour and energy consumption. fischer states this is a more sustainable and economical process which can be integrated into the existing circular economy.