Why recycled plastic matters
In the Pacific ocean, there is a massive patch of floating plastic waste 3 times the size of France. Using recycled materials won't solve that overnight, but it’s a place to start. And it makes good business sense too.
A lever to decarbonize
Scientific literature shows that recycled plastics can have a lower carbon footprint at the production stage than virgin plastics, depending on the material and process.
A stronger position in tenders
Transparent data on recycled content makes it easier to meet procurement criteria and back up your own sustainability reporting.
Circular thinking
Using recycled materials keeps resources in use longer - part of our commitment to products designed with the full lifecycle in mind.
How much recycled plastic in our products?
In the list below, you can see the amount of recycled plastic in our products as a percentage of total plastic weight.
VP300 - Commercial vacuum
With its vibrant next-generation design, our Nilfisk VP300 compact dry canister vacuum now has improved ergonomics on the handle, lock, and bent-end, reducing strain, best-in-class filling capacity, and easy cord management. Simply elevating the user experience ensures powerful productivity. Suited in contract cleaning, education and institutions, hospitality, retail, offices, and healthcare. Manufactured from 38% recycled plastics (VP300 R).
VP400 - Commercial dry vacuum
Nilfisk VP400 is a whole new formula for cleaning. Simply outstanding performance and convenience cramped into a compact canister for time-saving productivity. A durable, high-quality cord rewind system ensures a smooth and user-friendly operation. Suited in contract cleaning, education and institutions, hospitality, retail, offices, and healthcare. Manufactured from 38% recycled plastics (VP400 R).
VP500 - Commercial dry vacuum
Experience next level simplicity with the VP500 vacuum. Cordless freedom, an intuitive lightweight design, and thoughtful details make cleaning faster and easier from day one. With up to 90 minutes of runtime, advanced battery technology delivers powerful performance — reaching 80% charge in just 55 minutes. Manufactured from 38% recycled plastics.
VP700 - Commercial vacuum
The VP700 is quiet and built to last. Its premium cleaning performance combines powerful, energy-efficient suction with whisper-quiet operation - designed to keep your workspace productive and comfortable, without interruption. Suited in contract cleaning, education and institutions, hospitality, retail, offices, and healthcare. Manufactured from 33% recycled plastics.
SC550 - Walk-behind scrubber dryer
The SC550 is an innovative walk-behind scrubber dryer that is simple and intuitive to learn, use, and maintain, which makes it easy to get up and running quickly, with very little training. It is designed to optimize use of water and energy while still tackling tough cleaning jobs. Suited in contract cleaning, education and institutions, retail, offices, and healthcare. Manufactured from 21% recycled plastics.
SW3000 - Ride-on sweeper
The SW3000 provides an optimal cleaning performance for various applications with optimal dust and debris collection. It’s ideally designed for efficient cleaning in contract cleaning, educational institutions, retail environments, and light industries such as production areas and warehouses. Manufactured from 25% recycled plastics.
How Nilfisk uses PCR and PIR
Nilfisk uses two types of recycled plastics, following the RecyClass definitions:
- Post-Consumer Recycled (PCR):
Comes from everyday plastic items that people have used and thrown away, including bottles and packaging, We prioritize PCR wherever our quality requirements allow. This keeps materials out of landfills (or worse) and make the biggest environmental difference. - Post-Industrial Recycled (PIR):
Leftover plastic from manufacturing, such as offcuts and rejected parts. It's cleaner and more consistent in quality, making it a reliable option where PCR isn't yet viable.
We integrate both into selected products and always declare the percentage of each at product level - a level of transparency that is unique in the industry.
This illustration provides a high-level overview of how post-consumer and post-industrial plastic is collected, recycled, refined, and moulded into durable components used in Nilfisk products. The process is designed to reduce plastic waste while maintaining the performance and quality required for professional use.
On the path to Net-Zero
Recycled plastics are part of how we get there.
Nilfisk is committed to Net-Zero by 2040 - a target validated by the Science Based Targets initiative.
Getting there requires action across the business, and recycled plastics are one of the levers that moves the needle.
Purchased goods and services made up 19% of our total Scope 3 emissions in 2025.
Replacing virgin plastic with recycled materials positively impacts that number.
By 2028, we're targeting 1,280 tons of recycled plastics across selected product lines, which means we will replace up to 30% of virgin plastics in selected products.
Every ton counts.
Want to know more? Our Annual Integrated Report 2025 has the full picture.
Nilfisk's Scope 3 emission in 2025
