Poliform is aware of the role it has in the local community in which it operates and is actively committed in safeguarding the environment and the surrounding area. To better manage every environmental aspect of its activities, Poliform has adopted the UNI EN ISO 14001:2015 standard certified environment management system since 2018.
The system, as well as being in full compliance with laws and regulation, aids the company in promoting the continuous improvement of its environmental performances and in defining risks and opportunities. The most relevant environmental aspects and the ones on which to focus all improvement efforts are:
Water resources are used in very limited quantities during production processes and exclusively for painting processes.
Spray paint boots, installed in some of our facilities, are fitted with water recycling systems, where the same water is used for many cycles. The are no industrial effluents, any wastewater coming from spray booths is handled as waste.
The trend in the three-year period shows a significant reduction in water consumption in the year 2020, data which proves that the majority of water is used for domestic purposes. The Covid 19 pandemic in 2020 caused, in fact, a significant reduction in the number of personnel working on company premises, promoting teleworking.
This result is further highlighted by the following chart which compares water consumption to company turnover. A decrease in consumption equal to approximately 31 L every 1.000 € invoiced in the three-year period.
All company’s buildings, which stand out for their rational and rigorous architecture, were built to be carefully integrated with the surrounding landscape.
All company’s buildings, which stand out for their rational and rigorous architecture, were built to be carefully integrated with the surrounding landscape.
All sites are also surrounded by green areas to better integrate with the surrounding landscape, promoting local thermoregulation and partially contributing to the absorption of greenhouse gas emissions produced by the company.
Our production plants are exclusively powered by electricity. Poliform’s production units and offices are heated using energy produced by our own combustion power plants, which produce energy from wood scraps.
In 2021, Poliform produced 523.753 kWh of electricity thanks to its photovoltaic plants, covering 6,3% of the company total energy requirements.
14% of the electricity supplied by the grid in 2021 comes from renewable sources. To increase the use of electricity from renewable sources Poliform installed photovoltaic plants on the roofs of its production sites.
To increase the use of electricity from renewable sources Poliform installed photovoltaic plants on the roofs of its production sites. The plants located in Anzano del Parco and Lurago d’Erba were put into operation in 2021. An additional photovoltaic plant in Factory 4 in Mirovano will be built pending authorization.
Energy from renewable sources (purchased or self-produced) for a total of 1.623.866 kWh, equal to 20% of the company’s total energy requirements, was used in 2021.
Electricity consumption increased in the three-year reporting period; however, the same data compared to company turnover, shows a reduction trend of approximately 4kWh less every 1000€ invoiced sales in 2021 compared to 2019.
The volumes of methane gas purchased, compared to turnover, show a slightly decreasing consumption trend; our figures show, in the three-year period being reported, a reduction of 0,05 Sms every 1,000€ invoiced sales in 2021 compared to 2019.
A significative increase in methane consumption was reported in 2021, due to the installation of a new furnace in the Poliform Factory 4 facility in Mirovano, which substituted the old diesel fuel furnace. This furnace is used to produce thermal energy both for production purposes and to heat the premises. It resulted in the reduction of approximately 20.000L of diesel fuel consumption for heating purposes in 2021 compared to 2019.
Diesel fuel is also used for transport; there is a fuel pump at the Inverigo site to refuel company’s vehicles. Diesel consumption is also gradually decreasing if compared to company’s turnover, there was a reduction in consumption of diesel fuel in 2021 of 0.32L for every 1,000€ of turnover compared to 2019.
All productive sites are fitted with chimneys which release the byproducts of wood cutting and painting processes into the atmosphere. Poliform conducted an analysis and inventory of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) in the 2019-2021 three-year period.
Direct emissions generated by company activities (Scope 1) and indirect emission resulting from the purchase of energy (Scope 2) were calculated in detail:
Scope 1
natural gas and diesel fuel consumptions, new installations of equipment containing coolant gas
Scope 2
purchased electricity
Scope 2 emissions were calculated using the “Location based” method. Said method establishes that national average emission factors are to be used to calculate the emissions resulting from the consumption of electricity.
The graph shows a decrease in Scope 1 emissions in 2021 compared to 2019, a result obtained thanks to the reduction of diesel fuel for heating purposes achieved with the new methane furnace installed at the Poliform factory 4 in Mirovano. A further decrease of Scope 1 emissions is expected in 2022. The production of energy from renewable sources from photovoltaic plants has prevented the emission into the atmosphere of about 150 Tons of CO₂ eq. in 2021.
The final figures on greenhouse gas emissions, expressed as kilograms of CO₂ eq. and compared with turnover shows a decrease in emissions in the three-year period being reported equal to 0,004 kg/ CO₂ equivalent every 1.000 €/turnover.
Poliform has always considered the management of waste and scraps a significant issue. Recovery of materials or energy, rather that disposal, are privileged processes for waste shipped to third parties for processing. Wood dust combustion plants were also installed for the production of thermal energy for our corporate facilities in line with an optic of circular economy.
The company has shown its commitment by implementing projects of circular economy over the years. Recovery of materials or energy, rather that disposal, are privileged processes for waste shipped to third parties for processing. The quantity of waste sent to be recycled in the 2019-2021 three-year period average 94% of total waste produced. This result was obtained by carefully differentiating waste inside the company.
The graph shows the trend of total waste produced by Poliform in the three-year reporting period. Hazardous waste represents a very small percentage of the total amount, equal to less 4% in the 2019–2021 three-year period. The careful management of waste has allowed a significant decrease in quantities produced over time, with a reduction of 318.887 kg of waste in 2021 compared to 2019.
The graph shows the trend of total waste produced by Poliform in the three-year reporting period. Hazardous waste represents a very small percentage of the total amount, equal to less 4% in the 2019–2021 three-year period. The careful management of waste has allowed a significant decrease in quantities produced over time, with a reduction of 318.887 kg of waste in 2021 compared to 2019.
The following graph shows the quantities of wood dust recovered from each site in the three-year reporting period. To be noted that the quantities of wood scraps recovered to produce energy are constantly increasing.
Distillation plants for spent solvents were installed at the Poliform Factory 2 - Arosio, Poliform Headquarters - Inverigo and Poliform Kitchens Headquarters- Lurago d’Erba sites. This solution permits to regenerate spent solvents which can then be reintroduced into the production cycle, with obvious advantages in terms of reduced quantities of solvents purchased, and the environmental impact and economic costs for their disposal.
The following chart shows the quantities of spent internally recycled in the three-year reporting period. Also in this case, the attention to the valorization of resources and circular economy is shown by the ever-growing volumes of spent solvents being recovered.
A two-column charging station for cars and electric bicycles was installed at the Poliform LAB in Inverigo. On that occasion 10 electric cars were used to drive customers back and forth from the Poliform LAB and the city center for the duration of the event, saving 1,68 kg di CO₂ equivalent for each trip.
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