Environment
“We don’t need to resort to spectacular stunts in order to show our respect for the environment, our daily activities are our best commitment in that sense”.
Gruppo Cordenons factories rise in distant times in areas that are closely in contact with nature, and since hundreds of years a careful balance is in place for the utilisation of the local natural resources, assuring nevertheless the respect due to the surrounding ecosystem.
Our daily working activities don’t lack some difficult moments but our staff and our structures are predisposed to react quickly to emergency situations in order to minimise and contain the impact on the environment.
The water utilised in the factories production cycle comes from the neighbouring watercourses, where it is returned after its utilisation in production and after a suitable purification treatment.
Such water also contributes to the plant security, as it is stored and utilised to feed the fire prevention circuitry.
Water consumption is not a parameter easily quantifiable, and is subject to many fluctuations, nevertheless for many years operational solutions have been in place, to recover the water from the first processing as well as minimise water use by appropriate organisation and scheduling of the equipment and the premises washing procedures.
The company commitment to the environment, from the European Community perspective, is highlighted by the obtainment of the Autorizzazione Integrata Ambientale (AIA D.Lgs 59/05) deriving from the application of the IPPC (Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control) in order to reach a high level of environmental safeguard through prevention and sweeping reduction of pollution.
The Decree sets measures meant to reduce emissions in the air, water and ground, such measures include regular monitoring of values from third party companies.
The treatment of drain water is a fundamental element in the operative reality; the treatment plant is an indispensable element that takes up a vast area in the factories. In 2003-2004, in both operational units, a biological aerobic purification plant was implemented in addition to the existing chemical-physical treatment, allowing a significant reduction of the COD and BOD5 waste values.
Energy consumption is also an element of primary importance; special attention is paid to it thanks to the utilisation of clean energies, particularly at the Scurelle factory there’s a hydroelectric turbine fed by the neighbouring watercourse, and to the optimised use of non renewable energies, in fact the methane utilised at the Cordenons factory feeds a co-generation plant that ensures the production of the steam needed for both processing and electric power production at the same time.
Provision of wood-derived pure fibrous raw materials is implemented dynamically, thus ensuring, notwithstanding market fluctuations, an adequate supply of certified and/or controlled material that comes from low risk areas.
Fibres of a non-ligneous nature such as cotton, linen, hemp, wool, silk, and recycled post- consumption fibres are also used in the factories.
Moreover, for many years now a large system for salvaging and reclaiming the internal manufacturing waste has been in place, ensuring therefore a minimal quantity of fibrous materials for pulping.
The Cordenons Group holds a Chain of Stewardship FSC certificate and is able to provide FSC certified products”
But attention to everyday re-use is turned 360° also for auxiliary materials utilised in production and reduction of manufacturing waste, so for example, wood pallets are re-utilised and repaired internally many times before going to the separate waste collection area. As to internal refuse stockpiling, all staff has been sensitised towards separate waste collection and its correct disposal in the destined areas, so that it can be distributed to the right disposers, which in their turn transform our refuse into raw material.
Care for the environment is not limited to the production units but it also addresses our customers, thus packaging for our paper is made with materials that are easily separable and disposable, used to a minimum quantity to allow the product integrity while ensuring a limited impact on later disposal.
Dispatching of the finished goods is by various means of transport (ship, train, aircraft, land) and carriers are planned and programmed in order to optimise routes, thus avoiding a pointless impact on the environment besides economic expenditure.