Sustainability bites – Maccaferri’s commitment to sustainable production and consumption patterns

Environmental protection has always been a cornerstone behind Maccaferri’s operation; over the years, the company has strengthened its commitment to reducing its solutions’ environmental impact and achieving a balance between technical performance and natural integration. Consistent with SDG 12, whose goal is to embrace an environmentally friendly approach by ensuring sustainable consumption and production patterns, Maccaferri is committed to promoting solutions favoring material reuse and recycling. It is a three-step process: efficient material design and management, raw material recycling, and transparent production process information.

First, Maccaferri’s solutions are designed not to be environmentally harmful, and by optimizing design, the company is committed to promoting sustainable materials management to save resources and avoid waste. However, the aim of reducing our solutions’ environmental impact, with lower greenhouse gas emissions, must not undermine performance. In order to meet environmental standards and offer efficient performance, Maccaferri is carrying out in-depth design studies of its solutions. Reno™ Mattress Plus is an example of such an approach, which is the result of a three-year long physical testing campaign. The product saves more than 70% on materials compared to the Rip-Rap alternative and cuts CO2 emissions, leading to a smaller environmental footprint. Pre-filled solutions, such as RenoMac and Cubiroc, are yet another example of efficient materials management leading to less waste. Said solutions have been developed specifically to make gabion and mattress underwater installation more sustainable, thus significantly decreasing material waste, both during the filling and installation process.

Second, Maccaferri is committed to reusing materials on-site to minimize raw materials’ environmental impact and the pollutant emissions related to their shipping. The broad range of geogrids on offer in the market makes it possible to maximize the use of locally recovered materials for strengthening walls and slopes.

Maccaferri’s actions encompass materials reuse as well as the use of recycled materials. For instance, most of the steel bars used in making wire mesh come from recycled steel, while Maccaferri’s drainage geocomposites can be made from recycled polymers.

Finally, Maccaferri is committed to providing the most transparent information on its production processes and the characteristics of its products. In this regard, third-party certifications are key to securing the company’s reliability. A large number of Maccaferri’s products actually have an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD), i.e., an independently verified and registered document disclosing transparent and comparable information on the environmental impact of the products’ life cycle.

To plan and to develop production activities in compliance with SGD 12 is just one of the many building blocks of Maccaferri’s systematic action, striving every day on the path to sustainable business. Follow us in upcoming installments to delve into other areas of engagement.