Altro takes sustainability forward
At SASGO we share the same passion as our suppliers for sustainability, so in a series of blogs planned for 2022, we asked Altro to talk about their commitment to sustainability. This was their response:
Like many organisations around the globe, the focus at Altro is on revisiting our commitment to sustainability and renewing our pledges for the future.
We’re actually focusing our commitment around four ‘pillars’ with key targets to achieve by 2030. These are:
Reducing our carbon footprint
For all our facilities, becoming carbon neutral for scope 1 and 2, through a combination of increased efficiencies and renewable energy
Corporate Social Responsibility
To have a positive impact on society as a whole and the communities we work in
Recycling
To offer circular economy solutions, and provide adhesive-free options in all our floor and wall product ranges
Formulation
To achieve 30% recycled and bio-sourced content in our product portfolio.
So, what are we doing to be more sustainable?
PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT & RESOURCES
We’ve led the way in sustainable product development: our adhesive-free product ranges require no adhesives and no damp-proof membranes. This revolutionary technology means the flooring can be re-used or recycled at the end of its life, and it leaves a clean, undamaged substrate ready for the next flooring to be installed. All of this saves you time and money and, compared to a conventional safety flooring installation, reduces greenhouse gas emissions by over 70% in the production phase. Using our adhesive-free ranges can reduce the global warming potential (GWP) by 70% compared with an equivalent traditionally adhered installation.
We already monitor water, waste and energy usage, our electricity is from 100% renewable resources via the grid, and we recycle the water we use in the factory. We’re planning further actions around the important areas of energy, water, recycling, waste, and travel. But we know we need to do more, and we are working with a consultant to develop a comprehensive carbon management plan.
Environmental Product Declaration
EVIDENCE OF A SUSTAINABLE APPROACH
Altro have product-specific Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) for our vinyl flooring and wall cladding ranges. EPDs are documents that transparently communicate the environmental performance or impact of any product or material over its lifetime. The information is independently verified by BRE Global Ltd.
You can view and download them here Environmental Product Declarations | Altro
Focus on recycling
MULTIPLE WAYS TO RECYCLE
Altro were the first manufacturer to invest in a recycling machine for safety flooring. Edge trimmings and scrap material are recycled into traffic calming products such as road cones.
All of our safety flooring products are wrapped using 100% recyclable paper. This packaging bears the RESY recycling logo - a guarantee of its recyclability. We are working towards implementing this type of packaging in our factory in Germany.
Any single-use plastic is minimised and other packaging such as croc boxes and pallets are returned and reused.
Recofloor, our vinyl take-back scheme, has collected and recycled nearly 6,000 tonnes of vinyl flooring over the last 10 years - enough to cover 200 football pitches - and is equivalent to saving of 7,200 tonnes of CO2.
Altro partnered with VEKA Recycling to set up the UK's first wall cladding recycling scheme, Recowall, which is unique in the PVCu wall cladding sector. Clean, adhesive-free off cuts and thermoformed corners from site are collected and recycled into pelletised PVCu which can be used to make new building products including new PVCu windows. Since its launch in 2010, Recowall has recycled over 236 tonnes of Altro Whiterock. For more details visit the Altro Sustainability page on their website.
