Nestled in the beautiful countryside of Dassel-Relliehausen in Lower Saxony, Germany, Hahnemühle is Germany’s oldest artist paper mill, with a proud history dating back to 1584. Since then, the company has owned its own water rights at the foot of the Solling Mountains. Today, the pure, soft water from the paper manufacturer’s artesian wells remains a key quality hallmark of the brand with the rooster. Because this water is extracted from underground sources, it is exceptionally pure and gentle. It is used in its natural state to produce premium artist papers, Digital FineArt papers, as well as high-purity papers for life sciences and filtration.
Hahnemühle´s production as well as drinking water are absolutely pure
Jan Wölfle, CEO of the Hahnemühle Group, explains: “We now also use regional water in modern drinking water dispensers for our employees, in line with our ‘Green Roster’ sustainability strategy. This helps us improve our CO2 footprint and reduces the need for crates and bottles that have to be transported around the region.” He adds: “The neighbouring underground artesian wells directly behind our company supply water for our paper production on the one hand and provide us with drinking water on the other. We are now even looking into the possibility of tapping drinking water directly at the source or at our water house.”
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Unrivalled low water consumption in the paper industry
Artesian wells are special wells in which water rises automatically from an underground, pressurised layer of water without the need for a pump. The water flows into the wells due to the natural pressure of the water column and can be used directly – for paper production and as drinking water. The water is always of the same excellent quality.
Hahnemühle is extremely economical with the valuable spring water for paper production and process water in the office and production buildings. The total water consumption is unrivalled worldwide. Hahnemühle consumes up to three per cent of its own water – mainly in the paper drying process during production. This consumption is fed back into the water cycle via natural precipitation, explains Jan Wölfle: “We basically just borrow the water for our paper production. On walks in the neighbouring nature reserve, the Hahnemühle site appears to be an island, with two rivers flowing past it and reuniting behind the site.
The water for paper production does not have to be treated before and after production, but is channelled into the nearby Ilme at the end. Hahnemühle monitors its own water 24/7 and is itself monitored automatically and online by the authorities.
Historical fun fact: Paper & beer from the very same water
Hahnemühle’s excellent water quality has been known for a long time: Until the 17th century, papermakers used the pure water not only to make paper, but also to brew beer. New research carried out as part of the company’s uninterrupted history since 1584 confirms this historical fact.
Further information on Hahnemühle’s current sustainability strategy can be found in the Environmental Manifesto.
