July 14, 2021

The Laminam Group has published its second Sustainability Report, produced in collaboration with Nomisma, which certifies manufacturer’s commitment to its key pillars for growth.

Laminan, a producer of large size ceramic surfaces for architecture, interiors, design and furnishing, has long embraced the concept of sustainable innovation as a guide to its way of doing business, identifying the pillars on which to base its growth: governance, products, people and processes. With this in mind, Laminam created a Road Map that defines the actions and objectives to be achieved for each of the four pillars: from promoting an inclusive, constructive and safe work environment, to the continuous search for natural materials and eco-sustainable processes, to the ongoing commitment to reduce and mitigate the environmental impact along the entire value chain.

In 2020, at the group’s production facilities (Fiorano Modenese and Borgo Val di Taro in Italy, and Dobrino, Moscow in Russia), energy consumption and CO₂ emissions decreased by 10%, just as other atmospheric emissions have been reduced (far below the allowed levels), thanks in part to the installation of Kyoto-friendly activated carbon abatement systems, the only ones in the sector.

Also in 2020, in its Italian plants, Laminam reduced water usage by 16%, waste produced by 23%, and the quantity of packaging materials by 17%.

Many aspects of Laminam’s production processes are oriented towards a circular economy model aimed at reducing raw materials, consumption and waste, creating reuse and recovery flows, and maximizing product life. That year, 95% of the pre-fired material is reintroduced into the production cycle; 100% of the process water is returned to the production cycle thanks to wastewater treatment systems, along with a system for rainwater recovery and storage; almost all waste is sent for recycling; a growing percentage of packaging is recovered (736 tons of materials recovered in 2020, a value three times higher than in 2018).

Laminam ceramic surfaces contain at least 20-40% pre-consumer recycled material, as confirmed by the LEED and BREEAM certifications. In some Laminam products, the proportion of reused pre-fired waste reaches 60%. In addition, because they are made from natural raw materials, the slabs can be easily ground and reused in other production cycles. Furthermore, thanks to their reduced weight and thickness compared to other ceramic products, Laminam slabs have a lower environmental impact also in terms of transport operations.

For 2021, Laminam is committed to sustaining a strong growth in the sales volumes and in the realization of two major projects: on the one hand, the digital transformation plan aimed at dematerializing and simplifying processes and improving the customer experience, and on the other hand, the investment plan dedicated to expanding the Borgo Val di Taro and Dobrino plants in order to increase production capacity and strengthen the sustainability of processes and products. These investments will give further strength to the growth trend and creativity that have always distinguished the company.