{"id":2416,"date":"2021-06-21T15:41:40","date_gmt":"2021-06-21T15:41:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rsc.cosentino.com\/2en\/?page_id=2416"},"modified":"2021-07-19T12:53:55","modified_gmt":"2021-07-19T12:53:55","slug":"innovation-and-sustainable-transformation","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/rsc.cosentino.com\/en\/planet\/innovation-and-sustainable-transformation\/","title":{"rendered":"Innovation and Sustainable Transformation"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Innovation and Sustainable Transformation<\/h1>\n

Cosentino Group remains committed to sustainable innovation, aspiring to ensure that its products offer the best qualities of respect for the environment and safety.<\/h2>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n

Creation of innovative and sustainable products<\/h3>\n<\/div><\/section>
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In this respect we continue to invest resources and efforts so that, year after year, the circular economy and waste recovery is reflected in Cosentino\u2019s range of colours and products, offering materials with a significant content of recycled and\/or recovered raw materials in their formulation. As part of our product sustainability strategy, in 2020 we committed to the voluntary compensation of CO2 emissions generated throughout the life cycle of Dekton\u00ae, thus offering our customers a carbon neutral product.<\/p>\n

Likewise, we are developing projects to reduce the possible negative impact that the consumption of our raw and\/or auxiliary materials may have on health and the environment, taking into account the entire value chain. In 2020, we launched our Hybriq\u00ae and Hybriq+\u00ae technologies for Silestone\u00ae (see innovation section on page 24).<\/p>\n

Our commitment to incorporating recycled or recovered material in our products has led to the production of up to 1.45 million m2 of products using recycled or recovered raw materials (representing 22% of our production for the Silestone\u00ae and Dekton\u00ae brands).<\/p>\n

Each year we continue to work on increasing the proportion of recovered or recycled raw materials before and after consumption in relation to total consumption, through both improvements in production processes and through R&D aimed at using new materials in the formulation of our products. This resulted in a 26% increase in the consumption of these raw materials compared to 2019.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/p><\/div>\n

Silestone\u00ae<\/h3>\n<\/div><\/section>
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In 2020 we implemented our HybriQ+\u00ae technology, which labels all colours and series with a recycled or recovered raw material content of more than 20%.<\/p>\n

Currently there are 25 colours with eco material (Dekton\u00ae
\ndiscs, glass, mirrors, porcelain or ash) from 9 different series.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/p><\/div>\n

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Dekton<\/h3>\n

As for Dekton\u00ae, we are making a great effort to incorporate waste and scrap from the production process as a raw material for our products. This allows us to give waste a useful second life, as well as reducing consumption of raw materials used in our processes and their associated environmental impacts.<\/p>\n

As a result of improvements in our processes and advances in formulation, in 2020 we successfully incorporated a minimum of 5% recovered raw materials in the production process of all our products. This is a further step towards the Zero Waste target we have set ourselves for 2022.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>
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Circular economy and waste prevention<\/h3>\n

At the Cosentino Group we are firmly committed to the circular economy.<\/strong><\/p>\n

In this respect we continue to invest resources and efforts so that, year after year, the circular economy and waste recovery is reflected in Cosentino\u2019s range of colours and products, offering materials with a significant content of recycled and\/or recovered raw material in their formulation. In 2020, Cosentino produced 1.45 million square metres of surfaces with recovered materials, representing 22% of the total production.<\/p>\n

One of our major milestones in 2018 was the launch of our own Waste Management and Recovery Plant, a facility dedicated to the treatment and disposal for recovery of waste generated by the company in its production processes. Once we had consolidated our commitment to managing our own waste, in 2020 we began to adapt these facilities to provide us with sufficient infrastructure to ensure the long-term storage and treatment of the waste generated.<\/p>\n

Each year we continue to work on increasing the proportion of recovered or recycled raw materials before and after consumption in relation to total consumption, through both improvements in production processes and through R&D aimed at using new materials in the formulation of our products. This resulted in a 26% increase in the consumption of these raw materials compared to 2019.<\/p>\n

This commitment is further supported by the Cosentino\u00ae Group\u2019s participation in the \u2018Econom\u00eda Circular en Acci\u00f3n\u2019 [Circular Economy in Action] platform, and its adhesion to the \u2018Pacto por una Econom\u00eda Circular\u2019 [Pact for a Circular Economy], promoted by the Spanish Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge (MITECO, in Spanish).<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>
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Waste circularity<\/h3>\n

We encourage innovation and continuous improvement to move towards a circular economy model that promotes the efficient use of resources, and the minimisation and recovery of waste. We focus on the waste generated as part of the raw material treatment processes and in the production of our surfaces. Thanks to the application of the best available technologies, we have managed to increase the efficiency of our processes and reduce the generation of waste per unit produced.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div><\/p>\n

Proyecto Circularity<\/h3>\n

At Cosentino, we work to ensure that our waste can be used, reused and recycled as new products for different external and internal applications. Our objective is to convert them into quality raw materials which can be reintroduced, with the maximum technical, economic, health and safety conditions.<\/p>\n

The Circularity R&D project, a continuation of the Reborn project (started in 2016), aims to respond to the need to expand research lines for waste treatment, particularly in the case of Silestone\u00ae.<\/p>\n

Within the framework of this project, different external lines have been researched to be able to reuse our waste in different applications, such as:<\/p>\n

\u2192 Civil engineering and construction materials:<\/strong> We conducted several laboratory studies to verify the technical feasibility of introducing our waste as substitutes for civil engineering and construction materials (roads, drainage systems, backfills, concrete, gravel, etc.).
\n\u2192 Technosol:<\/strong> We are conducting short and long-term research on the development of a new technosol obtained from mixing our non-hazardous waste and different waste generated in the province of Almer\u00eda, seeking synergies to resolve several problems with the same solution.
\n\u2192 Ceramics industry:<\/strong> We have verified another successful case study with the introduction of a type of our waste to ceramic industry products. After carrying out different industrial tests on a real scale, it has been concluded that this particular waste is not only suitable for use in this application, but also adds value to the final product.<\/p>\n

Currently, work is being done on the necessary processes and procedures for using waste in these applications that have already been demonstrated in the laboratory and in the pilot projects. For Cosentino, it is essential to comply with all the necessary regulations and administrative processes as well as the health and safety requirements for individuals and the environment. Thanks to the progress made along these different lines and an appropriate segregation and classification of waste generated both at source and in the factory, we now have a basis to develop large-scale recovery projects for all the lines underway and make this a reality.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n

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Cosentino Decarbonisation Strategy<\/h3>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n
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At Cosentino we are fully aware of our commitment to low-carbon productive and economic development, as established in the Paris Agreement. We are therefore in line with the European Union\u2019s target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, in order to achieve climate neutrality by 2050.<\/p>\n

To this end, we continue to work to improve the methodology for calculating our CO2e emissions to quantify our Carbon Footprint more effectively and accurately, which is then verified and officially registered with the Spanish Climate Change Office. This helps us to better understand those areas and\/or categories that require more attention and effort and therefore where CO2e emission reduction measures should be applied.<\/p>\n

In this respect, a significant part of our carbon footprint comes from indirect emissions generated as a result of the transformation of raw materials used in our production processes. That is why we are working together with our most critical suppliers from a carbon footprint point of view to achieve reliable and accurate results.<\/p>\n

At the same time, we continue to work on measures to reduce direct emissions from our production processes, focusing mainly on energy efficiency, productivity and continuous improvement. Additionally, Cosentino is committed to the voluntary offsetting of part of its greenhouse gas emissions. An example of this is our firm commitment to achieve carbon neutrality for our Dekton\u00ae products through international voluntary offset projects certified and within the framework of the Voluntary Carbon Market.<\/p>\n

This milestone has been achieved through participation in the \u201cLoma Los Colorados Landfill Gas Project\u201d for electricity generation with biogas, held in Chile, whose main objective is to develop a system for the collection and use of biogas for electricity generation, which will reduce emissions by an average of 1,317,482 tons of CO2 per year.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n

Furthermore, the benefits associated with this project include: supplying energy to the region, thus contributing to its sustainable development; eliminating odorous gases; improving employment opportunities; and improving the overall operation of landfills. It will also improve the local economy by reducing dependence on fossil fuel consumption.<\/p>\n

Therefore, thanks to this partnership action, as well as our reduction and offsetting plans, Cosentino defines its decarbonisation strategy as follows:<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>
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In 2020 Cosentino signed a framework partnership agreement with the environmental association SUSTENTA, which is driving a massive international civic movement, the Gran Alianza por el Planeta [Grand Alliance for the Planet], with the aim of putting the environment at the forefront. Through this Alliance, we are promoting an adaptive environmental management project to offset emissions in our region.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/p><\/div>

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Sustainable mobility<\/h3>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n
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At Cosentino Group, we are aware of the environmental impact of the emissions associated with the transport we use in our activity, which is why we have been working for years on the implementation of various initiatives to promote sustainable mobility and reduce the emissions generated.<\/p>\n

In 2020, the Company wanted to continue advancing in the strategy, launching the 2nd edition of the Business Mobility Plan, whose aim has been the study and analysis of the present and future situation \u2013 always in constant change \u2013 quantifying all movements both internal and external to the organisation (production, transport of Raw Materials, product and logistics, number of vehicles accessing, existing infrastructures in Cantoria and other municipalities, procedures in general and the future planning of the foreseen industrial expansion).<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n

As a result of the new Mobility Plan, a set of 20 actions has been proposed whose investment over the next 10 years is aimed at further optimising all previous initiatives, as well as going one step further and seeking the transformation of the industrial park, with a view to improving road safety, productivity, efficiency and sustainability through Smart, low-emission solutions.<\/p>\n

With this Plan, we seek to improve future mobility at all levels and locations where we operate through the digitalisation, sensorisation and electrification tools, with a positive impact both on the well-being of employees and partners and on the reduction of emissions related to our activity.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n

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Risks and opportunities associated with climate change<\/h3>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n
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In 2021, in order to adapt to the demands and requirements of the markets, being increasingly aware of the challenges and opportunities arising from climate change, the company is going to carry out an in-depth study to analyse and assess the risks and opportunities associated with climate change and, as a result, define a Strategy on Adaptation to Climate Change.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n

To this end, Cosentino\u2019s climate change adaptation diagnosis will be defined, identifying the main climate hazards and analysing their expected development, as well as the exposure, sensitivity and capacity to adapt to them.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>
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