From fishing nets to circuit breakers

Business case

From fishing nets
to circuit breakers

By rethinking what products are made of, Hager is turning the sourcing of material into a driver of decarbonisation, competitive advantage, and resilience.

By the numbers

32%

of Hager’s carbon footprint from purchased goods (2025)

–23%

of CO₂ per tonne of low-carbon PVC (aggregate, 2025)

~70 t/year

CO₂ reduction projected by 2030 (recycled plastic)

Negative

abatement cost for recycled cardboard packaging

2024

start of renewable-energy PVC sourcing transition

At a recycling plant in Europe, old fishing nets and worn-out carpets are being broken down into their basic materials. Developed by LATI Industria Termoplastici S.p.A., the high-performance plastic compounds are made from polymer derived from chemical recycling via depolymerization. Indistinguishable from virgin material, they reappear at Hager in a very different form: as high-performance plastic components inside its new MCB Commercial Platform, a range of miniature circuit breakers for commercial buildings. The CO₂ saving: 32% per tonne compared with virgin plastic1.

The journey from waste to precision-engineered circuit breaker illustrates a broader shift in how Hager thinks about materials. Purchased goods accounted for 32% of Hager’s emissions profile in 2025, making material selection one of the most consequential instruments for reducing emissions across the value chain. “Together with our partners, we identify and validate lower-carbon materials that meet performance expectations, while also being better for the planet,” says Laeticia Dietrich, Sourcing Sustainability Specialist.

Three pathways, one metric

Hager’s response, rooted in its Blue Planet Commitment, follows a three-part methodology. Each option is evaluated against its environmental benefit and economic logic. The most efficient solutions are prioritised:
The economics of better materials

Reduce

Using less before sourcing differently. Through eco-design and right-sizing, Hager minimises material volume at the design stage. Packaging optimisation using recycled cardboard already delivers high CO₂ reductions while generating cost savings – decarbonisation that pays for itself.

Replace

Switching to lower-carbon alternatives. Hager has shifted PVC sourcing towards suppliers producing with renewable energy, achieving approximately 23% lower CO₂ per tonne on aggregate2. By 2025, 75% of Hager’s PVC is sourced from renewable-energy production, with the ambition to increase this share further.

Recycle

Designing for circularity from the start. The LATI Industria Termoplastici S.p.A collaboration is one example: end-of-life waste becomes technical plastic matching virgin specifications, closing the loop without compromising durability. And, together with supplier EME, Hager developed a thermostat incorporating 13,7% post-consumer recycled plastic by total product mass, packaged entirely without plastic.

In everyday installation work, Hager’s material strategy takes practical form, as lower-carbon and recycled materials are integrated into products designed for routine use in buildings.

Together with our partners, we identify and validate lower-carbon materials that meet performance expectations, while also being better for the planet.

Laeticia Dietrich

Sourcing Sustainability Specialist

Management Summary

The risk: purchased goods represent 32% of Hager’s carbon footprint, with growing exposure to carbon pricing and sustainability-driven procurement.

The approach: a Reduce–Replace–Recycle methodology prioritising solutions by environmental benefit and economic logic.

The impact: 32% CO₂ reduction per tonne for recycled plastics (LATI). ~23% on aggregate across PVC suppliers. Packaging decarbonisation at negative cost.

The results speak across all three pathways. Lower-carbon alternatives reduce Scope 3 emissions, strengthen supply resilience by diversifying away from fossil-based inputs, and support Hager’s positioning in green tenders. They also lower the embedded carbon of products customers purchase, helping them meet their own climate commitments. “Chemical recycling can deliver virgin-like material properties, making validation easier from an engineering perspective – especially for complex applications,” explains Laeticia Dietrich. “And every kilogram of recycled or low-carbon material we integrate makes our products more competitive in a market that increasingly values sustainability credentials.”

In practice, lower-carbon materials are often more expensive, sometimes slightly, sometimes significantly. But where the CO₂ savings are substantial, Hager chooses to move forward. To sharpen these decisions, the company is developing an abatement cost framework, evaluating euros spent against tonnes avoided across material categories.

Savings in the production process of virgin and recycled plastic.

Estimated based on the comparison between fossil-based production and renewable energy production.

Hager Annual & Sustainability Report 2025/26 – undefinedLetter of the Chairman – undefinedLetter from the Chief Executive Officer – undefinedIntroduction – undefinedOur brand promise – undefinedThe Return to Blue – undefinedOperational Excellence – undefinedIntroduction – undefinedThe switch to circular – undefinedPowering performance, locally – undefinedFrom Charging to Participating – undefinedHager at a Glance – undefinedIntroduction – undefinedNavigating change, building momentum – undefinedTomorrow Won't Wait – undefinedSustainability Report – undefinedIntroduction: advancing sustainable growth and stakeholder value – undefinedPerforming and transforming with care – undefinedGeneral Disclosures – undefinedMateriality Assessment – undefinedE3: An integrated sustainability framework – undefinedEnvironment: protecting the climate and natural resources – undefinedBetter buildings. Better tomorrows: electrifying the transition ahead – undefinedClimate change and energy – undefinedThe roof that pays for itself – undefinedBeyond the last mile: the routes to zero – undefinedWhen buildings learn to think – undefinedManaging substances of concern in our products – undefinedOur focus on resource use and circularity – undefinedManaging additional environmental topics – undefinedSocial: fostering wellbeing and strengthening communities – undefinedCare is the Hager way: why people matter to better buildings – undefinedOur people and culture – undefinedThe talent equation – undefinedProduct safety for consumers and end users – undefinedGrowing skills, growing business – undefinedGovernance: building trust through integrity and responsibility – undefinedEthics: acting with integrity – undefinedFrom fishing nets to circuit breakers – undefinedContent Index – undefinedContact / Imprint – undefined