Lots of projects with a sole aim
02.04.2012
Sustainable development, a subject which is continually being discussed – considered a main aim by many businessmen, and felt to be an inalienable right by consumers. Industrie Chimiche Forestali (ICF) is one of the companies that has made these issues one of their main commitments to the market for many years. The company is a leader in the production of adhesives and impregnated and extruded fabrics for our sector, with a clear role also in the padded furniture and industrial technical applications sectors. Its commitment is confirmed by continuous investments in this direction and, in particular, by the recent ones. It seems paradoxical to talk of sustainable development and eco-compatibility in the chemical world. However, careful analysis of how some industrial companies develop helps us understand how much these subjects are part of the DNA of the company and how legitimate it is to associate a brand with social commitment with levels of difficulty that are definitely different for each sector.
REDUCING THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF SOLVENT-BASED ADHESIVES
Every year, ICF produces about 8,000 tonnes of solventbased adhesives. Research for this type of adhesive is increasingly oriented towards the use of low-environmental impact solvents, i.e., very pure solvents. The advantages in using these products include greater safety in the place of work and better protection of the health of the workers. These are aspects that also depend on the level of purity of the petroleum derivatives chosen. ICF is aware that the preferable solution is a solvent-free adhesive, a road which is not always practicable today.
ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY GENERATES ADDED VALUE
A series of advantages are associated with the safeguard of the eco-system which,inevitably, interact with the economic aspect, starting with the macro-economic savings made through to the company and family-based ones. The awareness that ecology also means savings and product quality leads Industrie Chimiche Forestali to continue in the policy of investment in research and continuous updating of its systems. The aim is more efficient production processes and a lower environmental impact!
‘ZERO EMISSIONS’ PROJECT
This project was started in the leather goods sector and has seen the involvement of many prestigious companies in the fashion world. The project sets out the drastic reduction of emissions of volatile organic compounds, normally found in the solvents of adhesives, into the atmosphere. Highly specialised ICF technicians have been following this specific market for more than a year and the results at thismoment of 2011 show that the replacement with water-based adhesives is now almost total – to the benefit of workers, the environment and final customers. At the end of 2010, gratified by this progressive success, ICF decided to create a new section on water-based adhesive in its factory at Marcallo con Casone (Milan).Ten production machines and an automated storage system were prepared for this and also a staff, led by an area supervisor who is responsible for the formulation of the product and the processing cycle, was trained.
THE RANGE OF WATER-BASED ADHESIVES CONSOLIDATES IN FOOTWEAR
Water-based adhesives for thefootwear sector are now being added to the consolidated formulae of the leather goods market, with the creation of adhesives of the ECOPEL series. The footwear sector, more than others, has little inclination to innovation but it is, however, preparing for this great step. Co-operation with a leading company in the sportswear sector has led to a step forward being taken as this company had successfully tried the passage from solvent based adhesives to water based ones. The process wasn’t easy from both the technical point of view and the adaptation of the production installations. However, the results have repaid all the efforts made. Everyone in Forestali is convinced that many shoe manufacturers will follow the path of the international brand so specific glues, like ECHO PU and ECHO P, have been developed.
ALL-ROUND COMMITMENT
Forestali doesn’t just discuss new formulae but projections are made of the production to launch on the market in the medium term. There is talk of 5,000 tonnes per year of waterbased adhesives. A real turn-round! Special attention has been given to the packaging. This range of adhesives has a reusable container – a small drum with a polythene bag inside. Once all the adhesive has been used and the plastic bag it contains completely emptied, the drum can be reused. In addition, bag in a box allows the adhesive to be kept isolated, avoiding contact with the air. This is an aspect that translates into maintenance of the quality standard, reduction of waste and greater duration of the product.
PRODUCT CARBON FOOTPRINT
New topics to face can already be highlighted for the future. For example, the climatic footprint of a product, better known as the Product Carbon Footprint (PCF), i.e., the quantification of the greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) linked to the entire life cycle of a product. Introducing the PCF means understanding which of these stages is most critical in terms of GHG emissions, making implementation of effective operations to reduce them possible. Detailed knowledge of the quantity of greenhouse gases emitted has an important economic impact. It enables understanding of how the costs and competitivity of products can change with the variation of the market price of carbon dioxide. Ambition, farsightedness, trust in the future and certainty of its contribution to the improvement of the environment make this company a reference point for forward-looking businessmen.
