Working with design means imagining new ways to make rooms more beautiful and more livable. Scavolini knows this full well. The company applies this same attitude even to the idea of the “space” that embraces our large mutual home: the planet Earth. And it does so through responsible use of resources, the use of renewable sources of energy and through the recycling of wastes. Taken as a whole, this behavior has a name: Scavolini Green Mind. Scavolini has long considered safeguarding the environment one of its top priorities. In the past this translated into simple actions; today the actions are increasingly significant and incisive: since January 2009 Scavolini has opted to use Impatto Zero® renewable, zero impact energy. Through this project — stemming from the LifeGate-Edison partnership — Scavolini makes its contribution to creating and safeguarding over 85,000 square meters of forest located in Italy and in Costa Rica. The company has decided to exclusively use Idroleb panels for the carcase of its kitchens. Thus Scavolini is able to keep formaldehyde emissions to below the severe Japanese standards rating F****. So many “small gestures” which, taken together, build a better environment.
Scavolini joins Zero Impact® project.
CO2 emissions generated by www.scavolinigreenmind.it have been offset by the creation and protection of new forests in Costa Rica.
IT TAKES A GREEN MIND TO IMAGINE A BETTER WORLD.
Scavolini has always considered safeguarding the environment one of its top priorities.In the past this was done through simple actions, today the actions are increasingly significant and incisive. While individual person and each company is only an “infinitesimal” part of our world, full respect and safeguarding of the environment requires knowingly proceeding at all levels of action.
Translating this intent into concrete steps while keeping the company efficient, producing a product that is well received by the market and of superb quality is not an easy task. But we have focused our utmost efforts in this direction.
Scavolini — both the company as a whole and the individual managers and workers — is committed to steadily improving the quality of life in the kitchen environment. To achieve this goal, it focuses utmost attention on evolution of both the design and functional characteristics of its products.
The goal of such commitment is to fully satisfy the customer's expectations, desires and demands, providing kitchens that are impeccable from all points of view.
In this ongoing search to improve, Scavolini places great emphasis on protecting the environment, safeguarding health and safety in the workplace, enhancing its relations with the territory and enhancing social and human relations.
OUR VALUES
- INNOVATION: "inventing in the kitchen". We achieve this through the search for new forms and materials, by increasingly meeting the demand for functionality and by safeguarding, health, safety and the environment;
- EFFICIENCY: making the innovation accessible through ongoing improvement of all processes;
- PRECISION: strict compliance with all laws and applicable standards;
- ETHICS: emphasizing human and moral values in business and work;
- ECOLOGY: full respect for the environment during all phases of the work;
- PARTICIPATION: raising the awareness, development and wellbeing of all human resources employed;
- INVOLVEMENT: extending the principles of quality, environmental protection and safeguarding of health and safety in the workplace to suppliers and collaborators;
- RESPONSIBILITY: placing utmost emphasis on serious, reliable choices.
OUR GOALS
- to design and produce beautiful kitchens that are reliable, safe and that respect the environment; kitchens that fully satisfy our customer's demands;
- to constantly improve all corporate processes, monitoring them through the use of effective indicators;
- to increase our suppliers' sensitivity to quality, the environment and the protection of health and safety in the workplace;
- to improve internal communications and those with the outside;
- to control and reduce the consumption of resources;
- to control and reduce emissions and wastes;
- to reduce worker health and safety risks.
ENVIRONMENTAL CERTIFICATION SYSTEM
Since 2000, with the development of the first corporate environmental management system, the company saw the importance of implementing a system based on UNI EN ISO 14001.
UNI EN ISO 14001 is a voluntary international standard that defines how an effective Environmental Management System is to be developed in order to improve all corporate activities affecting the environment.
Among other things, the goals Scavolini has achieved with its Environmental Management System include:
- compliance with all laws and standards that in any way involve Scavolini's corporate site and its products, processes and services;
- identification of the most meaningful environmental aspects (linked to production activities and the product itself) and then keeping them constantly monitored and improved;
- implementation of a dialectical relationship with the surrounding environment.
In fact, Scavolini aims to offer its customers maximum satisfaction and this also means making a concrete commitment to respecting nature.
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
Through the PDCA method (Plan-Do-Check-Act) the Environmental Management System guarantees that all corporate activities affecting the environment are managed in the best manner possible, in full harmony with the process of “ongoing improvement”, one of the primary goals of both the international standard and the Scavolini Corporate Policy.
Environmental questions thus become an integral part of the corporate management. As in any other sector of the company, Scavolini defines voluntary objectives and it checks to ensure that they are met. In this manner, Scavolini is called to take on personal responsibility and to implement a preventive approach toward environmental protection.
Therefore Scavolini's environmental commitment translates into
- a steady reduction in the amount of raw materials and energy used,
- the use of non-polluting raw materials,
- the recycling of wastes and
- production of an environmental impact study for the entire life cycle of its products.
This commitment is extended to all levels and both internal employees and all collaborators and visitors are made aware of it through specific communications initiatives.
THE ADVANTAGES
The main advantages Scavolini has derived from adopting its own Environmental Management System are:
- better organization of the corporate activities through clear, shared operating modes;
- guaranteed compliance with the ever-changing legal requirements;
- rationalization of the production processes;
- reduction in the wastes produced;
- reduction in the consumption of water, energy, heat;
- improvement in relations within the company and with the public authorities and local population.
The Environmental System is certified by SGS (www.it.sgs.com), an independent body, world leader in audits, inspections and certifications.
QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
Scavolini has always believed that quality should be prioritised at all levels. For this reason, the company has been implementing a Quality Management system based on the UNI EN ISO 9001 international standard since the early 1990s. The Scavolini Quality system regulates every single company process and the corresponding certification, first obtained in 1996, has been renewed ever since.
OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
At the end of 2008, Scavolini was the first company in its sector in Italy to obtain OHSAS 18001 certification, which defines the methods used by companies to identify and evaluate risks connected with their activities, in order to prevent them, optimise management processes and thus improve performance.
The OHSAS 18001 Occupational Health and Safety Management System certification denotes the strong commitment and deep awareness of Scavolini group towards safeguarding the wellbeing of its employees and associates.
AIR
The quality of the air we breathe is a top priority of respect for the environment.
We run careful periodic checks of the emissions produced in order to ensure compliance with the limits imposed by law and progressively reduce polluting emissions. To this end, Scavolini uses the best systems for filtering and cleansing pollutants from the atmospheric emissions, thus steadily reducing pollution.
Moreover, in order to reduce atmospheric emissions, Scavolini heats a part of its plant with biomass from wood chips. Burning this plant-based material ensures high efficiency and lower environmental impact since wood emits much less carbon dioxide when burned than do fossil fuels; moreover, the wood life cycle segregates additional carbon dioxide as new wood is grown for further chipboard. Moreover, using a renewable substance (wood), we do not exploit non-renewable energy sources.
ENERGY
The consumption of energy (in particular electricity) bears major weight for a company like Scavolini which has a production plant with a covered surface 80,000 m2.
The company keeps close tabs on its electricity consumption and uses special technologies and insights to avoid useless waste.
Moreover, Scavolini has opted to perform its activities using ZeroE planet — fruit of collaboration between Edison Energia and LifeGate, the first electrical power supply on the market derived from renewable sources — and Impatto Zero® — which compensates for the CO2 emissions generated by plant construction marketing activities through the creation and protection of new forests.
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Moreover, as part of the factory expansion currently under way, the company will soon build an electricity production plant using photovoltaic panels. This plant will cover nearly the entire roof of the factory and will have a capacity of more than 150 KW, enough to cover the new building’s entire power requirement.
Again, at the new factory, solar power will also be tapped to heat the water using solar panels able to cover the entire demand for hot water.
The company’s commitment to reducing consumption is brought to bear by making the greatest possible use of sunlight as a source of illumination in its buildings and offices, using low energy light bulbs, working up simple but effective measures such as turning off the lights or machinery during breaks, measures that involve managers and workers alike.
WASTES
Reducing the wastes produced and sent to the dump is one of the goals Scavolini has set itself.
To this purpose, the company carefully separates more than 30 types of different wastes on the inside.
Thanks to this differentiation, Scavolini recycles 90% of the scraps it produces.
Waste recovery means upgrading the materials so that they can be used in new production processes or for the production of energy.
Among the wastes generated by the production process, those that account for the greatest quantities are: paper and cardboard, wood and plastic packaging materials. For example, paper and cardboard can be used to produce new packaging or new recycled paper; the wood can be used in the production of panels; the plastics can be used to produce new plastic.
WATER
The company pays great attention to its consumption of water resources (which is quite limited) through constant monitoring and taking all steps necessary to prevent waste. Moreover, the water reserves set aside for fire prevention are integrated with the rainwater basin. Thus, the company implements a form of “natural recycling” which avoids burdening the drinking water supply from the Pesaro city aqueduct.
PAPER
The company pays great attention to the consumption of print paper. To this purpose, it uses only recycled or FSC certified paper (e.g. from sustainable plantations) for its internal requirements, thus helping reduce the environmental impact derived from the production of paper and its disposal after use.
The production of paper from recycled materials also saves 3,600 Kcal/Kg in energy vs. that consumed by producing paper from raw materials (source: Legambiente).
FSC labeling (Forest Stewardship Council) identifies products containing wood from correctly, responsibly managed forests that meet strict environmental, social and economic standards and which protect the natural environment, providing real advantages for the local populations, communities and workers.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
Compatible with market demand and technological developments, Scavolini places on the market products and materials that are in harmony with the environment as far as possible.
In this sense, design plays a fundamental role since it is the first instrument for keeping tabs on, and limiting, the product's environmental impact.
The company and its suppliers are, therefore, investing in this direction, the aim being to increase their own knowledge so that they can design a product that is increasingly environmentally friendly.
In this light, the company has taken part in a major European project under the “Life Ambiente” program (called LAIPP – www.laipp-eu.com). The main goal of this project is to work up Integrated Product Policies (IPP) for the kitchen sector, focused in particular on developing the product life cycle assessment (LCA).
The project falls under the strategy undertaken by European governments to promote market growth for eco-compatible products through an innovative process that focuses greater attention on the environmental impact of the various phases of the product life cycle.
The most innovative goals of the project include the creation and testing of Product-Oriented Environmental Management Systems (POEMS) conceived to make it easier to integrate product policies into the corporate management.
PRODUCT LIFESPAN
Scavolini kitchens are designed to last. This feature is an advantage, not only for those who purchase them. It is also evidently advantageous in terms of environmental impact.
This factor is per se one of the most important for safeguarding the environment since a long-lasting product automatically means lower environmental impact.
To manage the kitchen in terms of use, in its User's Manuals, Scavolini emphasizes re-use (e.g. in a vacation home, garage, donation to a charitable institution or sale at a flea market) and — if it is to be disposed of — to separate the components that can be recycled (wood, glass, aluminum, electrical and electronic appliances, etc.), thus facilitating differentiated collection.
PACKAGING
Use only recycled cardboard (e.g. produced by reprocessing paper and/or cardboard in a new production cycle) and recyclable cardboard (that can be used to produce new cardboard). And reduce the materials used, without compromising utmost protection of the product. These are the routes Scavolini has chosen to minimize the impact its packaging has on the environment. The corrugated cardboard packaging is 100% biodegradable and can be repeatedly recycled.
PAINTS
The company has already implemented products and technologies that reduce the environmental impact of the paints used. When possible, instead of the usual solvent-based application systems, we use systems with less environmental impact such as powder painting — by which powdered paints are electrostatically applied to the supports and then fused to them — and water-based paints which use water rather than a solvent to apply the pigment. Thus Scavolini reduces the presence of harmful substances in the air.
When this is not possible, Scavolini is committed to choosing suppliers who not only meet the limits for atmospheric emission of solvent-based substances, but who are also sensitive to the problem and who adopt the best technologies to eliminate the solvents themselves.
Besides controlling the impact paints have during production, emissions from the painted products are also checked and tested (e.g. formaldehyde emissions).
ECOLOGICAL PANELS
The entire carcase of Scavolini units is made of panels composed of wood particles (the so-called “chipboard or particle board”). Besides providing superb performance, use of chipboard greatly safeguards the environment. Scavolini uses only chipboard panels produced from recycled wood which does not require cutting down new trees.
All chipboard panels used in the carcase of Scavolini units are, therefore, ecological panels.
When abandoned in dumps or burned, wood emits greenhouse gases into the atmosphere while recycled wood traps them in, thus limiting the impact on the atmosphere.
By way of example, 1 ton of recycled wood reduces the emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere by 1.03 tons CO2 equivalent (ton CO2 equivalent= unit of measure for comparing the emissions of various greenhouse gases having different effects on the climate). And to think that Scavolini uses more than 10,000 tons of recycled wood panels a year.
E1 AND IDROLEB PANELS
Formaldehyde (or formalin) is a substance used in the production of many glues and resins and these are, in turn, also used in the production of wood panels. The panels produced in this way can release molecules of formaldehyde in the form of gas.
For the chipboard components of Scavolini kitchens (carcase, some types of doors, etc.), the company has chosen to use only low formaldehyde emission materials. Besides demanding exclusively E1 materials (as outlined in the corporate specifications), the company checks panel emissions by running periodic tests on samples to determine the emission limits.
According to the European E1 classification, the maximum permissible formaldehyde content is 3.5mg/m2h. Tests performed on our panels in compliance with UNI EN 717-2 normally yield much lower results, generally below 1.0mg/m2h.
Therefore the panels that reach the consumer have lost nearly all their initial formaldehyde content.
In fact, the ecological IDROLEB chipboard panels have the lowest formaldehyde emissions in the world (type P3 EN 312): 0.3 mg/liter according to the JIS standard. Indeed, IDROLEB emissions are even lower than the F**** rating certified by the Japanese Ministry, the strictest environmental protection standard in the world.
What also makes the IDROLEB Ecological Panel unique and revolutionary is the attention placed not only on the final product, but on the entire production process.
IDROLEB panels are also guaranteed by CATAS which ran a year of steady emissions testing, performed in compliance with EN, European and JIS Japanese standards. The result is a certificate held valid and comparable worldwide and unequivocally attests to the fact that IDROLEB is the ecological chipboard panel with the lowest formaldehyde emissions.In Europe, for example, the current limit is set at 0.1 ppm, and panels that meet this limit are called E1.
In Japan, emissions are classified according to the designated use of the product; in this case the panels are classified from F* to F****.
IDROLEB emissions actually fall under the Japanese rating of F**** (the strictest), a full 5 times lower than the E1 requirement.
In California — the American state always most highly attuned to questions of ecology and health — a law sets new emission limits for all wood-based products. In particular, during an initial phase (2009), the emission levels must be below 0.18 ppm (parts per million); later (2011) they will need to be below 0.09 ppm.
ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES
In compliance with European Directive EC 2002/95 (the RoHS Directive), the electrical appliances in Scavolini kitchens do not contain any hazardous substances like lead, chromium, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, PBB (polybrominated biphenyl ) or PBDE (diphenyl ether) which are particularly dangerous for both man and the environment.
With its line of electrical appliances, Scavolini promotes high energy efficiency appliances (A, A+ and A++ efficiency ratings) which generally reduce energy consumption by 30% over the class C models.
The energy classes — also called efficiency classes — provide a reference for the power consumption of electrical appliances.
The "scale" of consumption runs from the letters A to G, where A stands for the appliance with the lowest consumption while G indicates high energy consumption.
With an eye to protecting the environment and complying with current standards, within its role in the supply chain, the company meets the European Directive EC 2002/96 — which regulates Recovery of Electrical and Electronic Appliances (RAEE) such as refrigerators, ovens, lamps, etc. — through a series of activities aimed at regulating the collection, treatment and recycling of such wastes.
In fact, a refrigerator weighing approximately 50 Kg yields precious materials such as: 30 Kg of steel, 3 Kg of copper and aluminum, 1 Kg of CFC, 13.5 Kg of plastic, 1 Kg of glass and 1.5 Kg of other wastes to be sent to the dump.
ECO-COMPATIBILITY AND SAFETY
Sustainable Development: this is development that lets present generation meet its own needs without compromising future generations' capacity to meet their needs.
In producing a kitchen, Scavolini applies the best technologies available in order to reduce the environmental impact of the processes and materials used, and to make it as safe as possible.
You, too, in your own home, can do a great deal to limit the impact on the environment and prevent risks for yourselves and your children.
ENERGY SAVINGS
- Always select high energy efficiency electrical appliances (e.g. class A): this initial investment, higher than those with a lower energy rating, pays for itself with economic and energy savings in the future.
- Do not open the refrigerator or freezer often and, after use, always check that they are shut tight: when the door is open the motor runs constantly and it can overheat the food and produce excessive frost.
- Eliminate any frost that forms inside the freezer: a freezer with a great deal of frost consumes more.
- Never overly fill the freezer or refrigerator: if they are too full, they consume more and will not cool adequately.
- Do not place hot products in the freezer or refrigerator: products that are too hot cause greater energy consumption and can cause deterioration of the other products contained inside.
- When you have to boil water, cover the pot with a lid: you will save both time and energy.
- For foods requiring long cooking, it is best to use a pressure cooker: it significantly reduces cooking time and thus saves energy.
- Check that the hob is regulated correctly: a yellow flame indicates excessive consumption (you will note that the pots become sooty). Moreover a flame that detaches from the burner cap is a symptom of too much air. N.B. Always have regulations performed by a skilled technician.
- Turn on the oven only when necessary, without overdoing preheating; moreover, do not open the oven unless it is necessary: remember that the ovens are energy gluttons; preheat it only for the amount of time strictly necessary.
- To heat up foods, it is best to use a microwave oven rather than a traditional oven: since it does not need to be preheated, you save energy.
- Use the modern high efficiency light bulbs (fluorescent or LED), particularly in those areas where you spend a great deal of time: the initial investment is slightly higher but, besides being good for the environment, in the long run they are cheaper.
- Turn off the lights that are not necessary: it is important to get used to turning off lights.
- Turn off the television (or similar appliances) using the main switch and not only the remote control: these appliances continue to consume power in stand-by mode.
- Use the extractor hood properly, regulating the speed according to the real needs: if you are using the hob with just a few pots — or pots which do not release much steam — adjust the hood to low exhaust or, if possible, open the windows slightly to allow for an air turnover.
- Periodically clean the hood filters: this maintenance improves performance, reducing consumption.
- Use the heating or air conditioning system only when necessary and adjust the thermostats adequately.
- Do not cover radiators with curtains or pieces of furniture.
- When the heating or air conditioning system is running, try to keep the windows well closed, avoiding drafts; also, make certain that the windows are well insulated (low thermal conduction or double glazing).
- Do not open the hot water tap when not necessary: if hot water does not reach the tap, the boiler will be forced to cut in unnecessarily.
- Choose the correct wash cycle on your washing machine, preferably a low temperature cycle (40° - 60°).
WATER CONSUMPTION
- Do not leave the water tap open unnecessarily: this is simple but effectively saves water.
- Check that the taps are closed tightly: avoid dripping; if there is a steady drip, have it repaired promptly.
- Consider drinking tap water rather than bottled water (when the tap water is drinkable): this will prevent the production of wastes (plastic bottles) and pollution due to transport.
- Use tap aerators and remember to replace them periodically: this significantly reduces water consumption.
- Run the dishwasher and washing machine with full loads as this reduces useless wasting of water and energy.
- Never exceed the amounts of detergent recommended by the manufacturers and check the quality of the detergent according to the water hardness; this, too, will result in reduced water consumption.
- Let cooking water cool (e.g. after boiling vegetables) and use it to water your plants.
- When purchasing a washing machine or dishwasher, opt for one with a low water consumption rating (class A): the initial investment is higher than for the purchase of a unit with a lower energy rating but it yields savings in both money and energy in the future.
WASTE MANAGEMENT
- Do not produce more wastes than necessary.
- As far as possible, separate wastes for recycling or recovery.
- Select products that come in recycled or easily recyclable packaging such as those produced with a single material.
- When possible, compact voluminous wastes (bottles, cans, boxes).
- If you have a garden or large balcony, use organic wastes and plant scraps to produce compost for your flowers.
CLEANING THE KITCHEN
- Do not exceed in the use of detergents: a slightly damp microfiber cloth is enough to clean surfaces that are not particularly dirty.
- Use the most ecological detergents (such as those bearing the ECOLABEL certifying that the product life cycle has lower environmental impact) and which come in packaging which also has less impact on the environment.
- It is best to use a dishwasher (at full load) rather than washing by hand: modern dishwashers require much less water and detergent than hand washing.
SAFETY IN THE KITCHEN
- Be very careful when performing the most dangerous activities in the kitchen (e.g. cutting with sharp knives, replacing light bulbs, etc.).
- Have gas connections hooked up only by skilled technicians and only using approved piping.
- Always close the main gas tap when the range is not being used.
- Purchase only hobs with safety valve.
- Never leave knives loose (and in particular, keep them out of the reach of small children).
- Set detergents and other hazardous products in a place which is out of the reach of children (Scavolini has a line of special accessories for this purpose).
- Do not use electrical appliances near the sink or wet areas.
- Carefully follow the safety instructions for the electrical appliances.
- Do not overly load the furniture (see the indications in the user's manual).
DISPOSAL OF THE KITCHEN
- When the time comes to replace your kitchen, to reduce environmental impact to a minimum, consider above all the possibility of reusing all or a part of it (e.g. in a vacation home, garage, giving it to a charitable institution or selling it at a flea market).
- If, instead, it must be disposed of, contact the authorized waste disposal center in your city and, if possible, try to separate the components that can be recycled (wood, glass, aluminum, steel, etc.) facilitating differentiated collection and, thus, bringing to life a new product without the use of primary resources.
- Special attention must be placed on electrical and electronic appliances (the so-called RAEE) such as electrical kitchen appliances that could contain materials which are harmful for the environment unless disposed of properly. For this, contact the collection centers in your area.
- Always comply with the specific legislation in force in your country.
- If you have any doubts, contact the parties charged with waste disposal and/or recycling in your city.
CONTACTS
Scavolini S.p.A.Via Risara, 60/70 - 74/78, 61025 Montelabbate (PU) ITALIA
Telephone number +39 0721 443333
www.scavolini.com - e-mail: contact@scavolini.com
VAT No. 00113120414 - Corporate Capital € 10.000.000,00
Biomass
A non-fossil, biological material used to generate energy. Biomass may include agricultural and forest waste, agricultural food waste, scraps from wood processing plants and wood products, wastewater generated by livestock, organic urban waste and specifically cultivated plant species.
CATAS
An Italian research and development institute and test laboratory for the wood-furniture sector.
Certificate
Management systems based on international standards, such as UNI EN ISO 14001, may be certified (on a voluntary basis); in other words, specific bodies - provided they have been assigned the task voluntarily - may verify whether an organisation's system complies with the requirements outlined in the standard and issue a certification, in the event of positive results.
CO2
Carbon dioxide, a gas resulting from the combustion of fossil fuels that is naturally present in the atmosphere and contributes to the greenhouse effect.
CO2 equivalent
The impact of a given gas on the greenhouse effect expressed in terms of CO2 concentration. CO2 equivalent is used as a reference parameter as, concentration of gases being equal, different gases have a different impact on the greenhouse effect. CO2 equivalent is expressed in parts per million by volume (ppmv).
Compost
Material resulting from the biological decay of highly organic humid waste; once stabilised, such organic material can be used in agriculture and floriculture, depending on the production characteristics.
ECOLABEL
A European environmental certification label for products and services. This label, identified by the daisy symbol, aims to promote products and services that reveal a lower environmental impact during their life cycle compared to products of the same kind on the market. ECOLABEL is an optional market instrument and manufacturers or service providers are free to decide whether to apply it. However, its application may enhance a company's competitive advantage, besides encouraging other companies in the sector to adopt the same procedure.
Edison
An Italian company founded in 1981 that specialises in providing electric power and methane gas.
Environment
The context in which an organisation operate. Includes air, water, soil, natural resources, flora, fauna, human beings and their interaction.
Environmental management system
Part of an organisation's general management system that includes the organisational structure, planning activities, responsibilities, standard procedures, processes, resources and everything involved in formulating, implementing, achieving, re-examining and sustaining environmental policies.
Environmental Policy
The principles and objectives regarding environmental protection (or safety and quality, respectively for the Safety or Quality Policy) laid down by the organisation. This policy constitutes the guideline for all the organisation's activities.
F**** Japanese standard
A classification system for formaldehyde emissions of wood-based panels carried out in Japan (defined by the JIS standard) and based on 4 levels: from F* (the highest in terms of emissions) to F**** (the lowest in terms of emissions). F**** therefore represents the lowest level of emissions defined by the stringent Japanese standard.
FSC (Forest Stewardship Council)
An optional symbol identifying wood-based products that are FSC-certified and marketed by companies that comply with the FSC Chain of Custody standard. This implies that the wood used for FSC-marked products is strictly monitored by third bodies to ensure that it is almost entirely FSC-certified material. The mission behind the FSC certification process is to promote the responsible use of the planet's wood reserves without exploiting them.
Greenhouse effect
Refers to an increase in the earth's temperature due to the excessive concentration of certain gases in the atmosphere (CO2, CH4, N2O, HFC, PCF, SF6) that prevent radiation emitted from the earth from dispersing.
Green Mind
The slogan Scavolini uses to define its approach oriented towards safeguarding the environment.
Idroleb panel
A melamine-faced wood particle panel (chipboard) with water-repellent features (low water absorption, as measured by immersion tests in water for 24 hours with maximum accepted swelling level of 10%, i.e. the swelling threshold defined by the German standard for V100 panels) and low formaldehyde content (LEB = Lowest Emission Board), lower than the F**** value defined by the Japanese standard.
Impatto Zero® (i.e. "zero-impact")
A project promoted by LifeGate to implement the indications of the Kyoto protocol. The project consists in reducing carbon dioxide emissions while compensating them by creating new forests. This can be done once the environmental impact of activities, companies, products and people is quantified by calculating carbon dioxide and greenhouse gas emissions, so as to compensate them through reforestation activities and by safeguarding forested areas throughout Italy and worldwide.
KW (kilowatt)
Unit of measurement of electric power, equivalent to one thousand watts.
LCA (Life Cycle Assessment)
Indicates the collection and assessment of data on the input, output and potential impact on the environment of a product-system during its life cycle. It is an objective procedure used to assess the energy requirements and environmental impact of a process or activity that identifies and quantifies energy components, materials used and waste released into the environment. The assessment spans the entire life cycle of the process or activity, and includes the extraction and treatment of raw materials, manufacturing, transportation, use, reuse, recycling and final disposal.
"Life Ambiente" (i.e. "Life Environment") programme
A programme approved by the European Parliament that finances projects involving territory planning and improvement initiatives, water and waste management and the reduction of the environmental impact of economic activities and products. The projects must cover aspects of interest to the European Community and favour the formulation, implementation and updating of European policies and legislation with reference to the environmental sector.
LifeGate
A company founded with the aim of promoting environmental awareness, fair-trade and an ethical, eco-sustainable lifestyle. The company aims to promote a new economic model in which profit, environmental protection and social responsibility co-exist. LifeGate has created a communication network (radio, Internal portal, magazines) for developing and promoting the eco-culture approach and offers corporate social responsibility services to companies to foster a new business culture based on ethical, social and environmental standards. Impatto ZeroŽ and LifeGate Energy renewable energy® are among the projects that have been effectively developed in the environmental sector.
PDCA method
an acronym for "Plan, Do, Check and Act", this method is also known as the "Deming cycle" from the name of its inventor. The aim of this tool is to foster improvement through the interaction of all people involved (for example, not only during the check phase but also in the design phase).
Photovoltaic panel
Aan assembly of modules consisting of interconnected silicon cells. The semi-conductor comprising these cells generates electricity by transforming solar energy into electrical energy when exposed to luminous radiation.
POEMS
An acronym for Product-Oriented Environmental Management Systems.
This is a new tool that combines the highly flexible features of traditional environmental management systems for processes (such as ISO 14001) and those of environmental labelling systems (Ecolabel, EPD, etc.) for products.
POEMS aims to extend the concept of continuous improvement - an aspect that traditional environmental management systems largely confine to the environmental impact of the production phase - to the product's entire life cycle, to include raw material extraction, distribution, use and disposal of the product.
POEMS systems are developed by ENEA in collaboration with other partners within the context of the LAIPP project.
Ppm
Denotes the "concentration of parts per million," i.e. milligrams per litre. In scientific terminology, it defines the amount (traces) of substances in a solution, in the soil or air.
SGS
An international company headquartered in Switzerland and present in Italy since 1915. An independent organisation, it specialises in inspecting, testing, analysing and certifying goods, services and systems.
UNI EN ISO 14001
Italian version of the ISO 14001 standard and the reference standard for the management of environmental systems. As per other similar standards (UNI EN ISO 9001, for example), the UNI EN ISO 14001 standard defines the reference standard for correctly managing the company's environmental system.
ZeroE planet
An innovative project resulting from the collaboration between LifeGate and Edison for the supply of electrical energy to companies that comes from zero-impact (Impatto Zero®) renewable sources. Thanks to Impatto Zero®, all carbon dioxide emissions of whatever origin (the construction of production plants always requires materials, transport and energy that all produce carbon dioxide; also all activities connected with the sale of electric energy including administration, invoicing and customer service produce CO2) are calculated and compensated by creating new forests capable of absorbing them.