Environment

Resource-saving mining and recultivation

The extraction of raw materials has a significant impact on the landscape, flora and fauna. Because we are aware of this, we ensure that all extractable raw materials are completely extracted in a resource-saving manner and we also support recultivation in the interest of the environment. Endangered animal and plant species are taken into account in everything Theodor Stephan KG does. Our businesses are under constant ecological support from external specialist consultants. Experience shows that mining can even offer rare animal and plant species a new, attractive habitat and thus contribute to their preservation. In our opencast clay pit, for example, the midwife toad and the great crested newt have found suitable living conditions that have led to the maintenance of stable populations.

During dismantling and processing, we also ensure that dust, pollutant and noise emissions are kept as low as possible. The ongoing modernization of our processing plants and construction machinery is just as important to us. In this way, unnecessary consumption of resources can be avoided and an important contribution to environmental protection can be made: We channel water clouded by clay particles from our opencast mines into modern settling basins so that the clay can sediment on site without affecting public waters. We are also driving forward the energy transition and are gradually converting our machines and systems to resource-saving and climate-friendly technologies.

After all raw materials such as clay, kaolin, bentonite and basalt have been mined, our opencast mines are renatured according to recultivation plans agreed with the authorities. The resulting mass deficits are filled with uncontaminated excavated soil and planted with native trees and handed over for subsequent utiliziation.