The Experts - Ditta Giovanni Lanfranchi SPA

"In over 130 years of activity, however, we have always considered the social and the environmental aspects equally important."
GAETANO LANFRANCHI, CEO

Why is it important to invest in sustainability?

Sustainability makes sense from an economic point of view, as it allows savings in the medium to long term and is obviously ethical for the environmental impact.

 

In over 130 years of activity, however, we have always considered the social and the environmental aspects equally important. Back in 1996 we signed our first second-level bargaining agreement, introducing innovative systems of flexible working hours, such as the Banca delle Ore, along with a bonus for all employees.

 

Subsequently, the agreement led to the creation of a company welfare system, including opportunities for mothers to go back to work on part-time contracts, the development of multi-week work shifts, solidarity leaves and other initiatives in support of households (shopping cart, baby bonus), loyalty rewards and prizes for the best inventions, access to company microcredit and a more sophisticated welfare plan.

 

We gladly accept requests for school-work alternation, we collaborate with technical training institutes and give fashion students a chance to test themselves to win prize-awarding campaigns.

How is your company committed to reducing the environmental impact of your production?

Our industrial practices, which today we would define sustainable, have for decades already been oriented towards reducing waste and enhancing its value.

Stamping waste, melting sprues and metal flakes have for years been sold to specialized operators who use them as raw materials.

THE PRODUCTION CYCLES OF THE METALS WE USE INVOLVE THE USE OF SECONDARY (RECYCLED) RAW MATERIALS

In fact, the production cycles of the metals we use, such as steel, zamak and brass, involve the use of secondary (recycled) raw materials in a percentage of 85%, 60% and 50%, respectively.

Plastic molding sprues are normally reused in our production cycle.

Weaving scraps are used by the cascamifici for the production of rags.

 

Our own weaving plant (over one hundred looms and dozens of spiral and stapling machines) has been powered completely by solar panels for ten years. 

 

We use innovative, energy-efficient lamps in our factories, our offices are thermally insulated and heating is generated by condensation boilers. This is all geared to minimizing energy consumption.

What are your sustainability projects for the upcoming future?

We have succeeded in further reducing water consumption by 30% and water discharge into the sewer by 35% thanks to the new technologies and we have also doubled our production capacity in the new galvanic plant.

 

We analyze water every year based on the Greenpeace DETOX protocol and we publish the results of the relevant analyses.

 

Last year, we renewed our dyeing machinery. This resulted in an additional 65% reduction in water consumption; we also reduced the use of chemicals by 55%, cycle time by 10%, steam by 50% and wastewater by 65%.