Sustainability.

Sustainability is at the heart of our business: we always think about the heritage we leave for our children and, in the last 10 years, we have committed significant resources to continuously improve operations. We ask the same of our suppliers, because we want to be part of an industrial system in which respect for nature is paramount, and in which we always strive to create "more from less".

In the last years alone, we invested more than 400 000 € in systems that cut the consumption of resources such as energy and water to a minimum, while boosting recycling and the reuse of materials.

Raw materials
Our main raw material is particle board. Because we want to make sure about the origin of this material, each and every single shipment we buy comes exclusively from suppliers certified by the Forest Stewardship Council^® (FSC^® C106970), a global non profit organization dedicated to the promotion of responsible forest management.
FSC^® certifications are not granted easily or quickly. The first condition in any FSC standard is full compliance with local laws and regulations. A rigorous FSC audit takes place every year, and our clients have the option to ask for non-scheduled audits at any time. All such control actions regarding certification are carried out by a third-party, independent, international company, that has access to all of our internal documents and to those provided by our suppliers.
In 2017, we are working with our suppliers to ensure that also 100% of the cardboard used for packaging comes entirely from FSC-certified sources, thus further reducing any environmental impact.

Recycling
Ecolor's recycling initiatives date back to 2005, when the company first started operations. Collective waste selection was a natural choice for us from the very beginning, as we tried to set an example of good practices even before recycling became mandatory.
We recycle paper, metal and plastic, as well as smaller quantities of other substances. Wood based left over from the production process is never wasted. It is used to heat the facility and to create the hot water needed (e.g. for showers), cutting down on the need for even more energy from traditional sources. The remaining quantity is sold to specialized processors to be recycled and, once more, put to good use.

Water and energy
Since 2016, rainwater that falls on the factory roof is collected in a dedicated water tank, filtered and then reused in sanitary installations in the factory. The year before, in 2015, we invested to overhaul the entire lighting system in the factory; we switched from traditional neon lights to LEDs, the most efficient and environmentally-friendly system currently in existence.