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The environment represents one of the most fundamental aspects in shaping our activities in the places where we live and work.
We pursue a sustainable development model and consider protecting the environment in which we live and operate a fundamental aspect for our business. We do everything reasonable and effective to minimize our activities’ negative effects on the environment and comply with environmental protection laws and directives. Our headquarters are located in Tuscany, one of the world’s most beautiful regions for its landscapes and biodiversity. Here, we have always had great respect and care for the environmental heritage, which is key. During our operations, we support protection and promotion of sustainable practices to avoid biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation.
On “Earth Day” 2021, our CEO Ivana Ciabatti signed the first Environmental Policy. The aim is to outline the internal and external behavioral bases that we will apply to pursue constant and sustainable growth, in step with research and innovation, for social and environmental performance in line with our ethics and integrity principles.
Our aim is long-term and is in line with the Paris Agreement principles and applicable international and national regulations, and thus to contribute to achieving zero carbon emissions by 2050.
This Policy therefore aims to outline the internal and external behavioral bases that we will apply to achieve our goal. Italpreziosi will also encourage customers, suppliers and other stakeholders to do the same.
The plan we will pursue focuses on the following principle “3R+E”:
With the aim of becoming carbon neutral, we started the Carbon Footprint certification process at the end of 2021, to quantify our impact and define a more concrete decarbonization strategy.
The Sustainability Commission, comprising corporate Senior Management, is responsible for ensuring that the environmental policy is implemented.
The Compliance and Sustainability Officer is responsible for coordinating the Sustainability Commission’s activities.
Likewise, all employees and collaborators have a responsibility to ensure that this policy’s purposes and objectives are achieved.
Our systems are of the latest generation and high technology, with the aim of maximizing efficiency and minimizing environmental impact, with near-zero emissions.
Minimizing environmental impact is a crucial objective for our company. Considering that greenhouse gas emissions are among the main causes of global warming and climate change, we have decided to avoid the use of one of the main causes of emissions; that is, fossil fuels. This is why we have chosen not to use coal and diesel in our refinery, but “cold” chemical processes to significantly reduce emissions.
We have also installed photovoltaic solar technologies at the top of our building as the first step towards using ever cleaner energy resources. We joined the Print Relief initiative to plant trees for every number of pages printed.
From 2020, through 893700 printed pages, 107 trees were replanted.
We currently have a total of 7 company cars. In 2021, we purchased a hybrid car, with the long-term goal of increasing the number of hybrids and electric cars in the company fleet.
To date there are:
In 2021, we consumed 1,432,074.57 kWh compared to 1,236,692.84 kWh in 2020.
The energy mix will be available online soon, with our photovoltaic data.
In 2021, we used 18,948.00 mc of methane. This value is linked to consumption of the boilers and kiln torches in production.
Hydrochloric acid: AU and AG refining
Hydrochloric acid: AU and AG refining
Sodium hydroxide: NOX fume abatement
Other substances: Laboratory and Refining
Compared to 2020, acid consumption has decreased sharply through the research and development work conducted in production within the project in collaboration with the University of Florence.
Digital pollution includes all sources of environmental pollution produced by ICT tools (Information and Communication Technologies). Hence, it is both related to any digital tool production and the internet systems’ functioning.
A first step toward combatting this invisible impact was to choose systems that could have the least impact. Electronic devices and their use in our company can be considered irrelevant compared to the company’s turnover volumes.
The calculation requirements at EDP level are physiologically reduced by the nature of the data processed (“office” documents). The central physical server machines were recently renovated with a consequent reduction in power supplies (500W vs 800W).
Refurbished or “remanufactured” devices have been chosen for the network equipment; this means a product that is not new and cannot be sold as new, even if it is in excellent condition.
For desk workstations, a process of rejuvenation towards low-impact devices has begun, with 35W processors (similar to laptops); in the last 2 years 40% of desktop PCs have been renewed and the process continues in 2022.
For the Cloud part, we have decided to rely on suppliers attentive to sustainability issues, therefore choosing Google Cloud and Cloud.it
We ensure that the precious object, once selected, reaches the end user guaranteeing the content’s origin, protecting and maintaining the value of the object itself.
To this end, identifying sustainable packaging is an essential element. Italpreziosi is therefore committed to selecting certified stakeholders who comply with international standards and are therefore able to guarantee the supply of eco-compatible packaging, as also defined in our Environmental Policy.
Italpreziosi packaging is supplied by Heavy Metal Absence certified stakeholders, according to directive 94/62 CE, which aims to harmonize national measures concerning management of packaging and packaging waste as well as improving the environment’s quality by preventing and reducing the impact on it.
Italpreziosi blisters accompany all coins and bars up to a denomination of 100g.
In addition to guaranteeing safety and anti-counterfeiting, Italpreziosi blisters are made of resistant copolyester, a highly transparent and recyclable material. In the transformation and recovery process, the material’s characteristic fluidity and reproducibility make processing possible at lower temperatures than for others (due to its reduced specific heat capacity it can be thermoformed with lower energy consumption; the maximum working temperature in no-load condition is about 65°C.)
Copolyester is also workable without the need for pre-drying. In plastic materials processing, to maintain the finished products’ quality, the materials need to be subjected to a further preventive phase, preceding processing/transformation. This step consists in pre-heating, aimed at eliminating surface humidity. Given the properties of the material Italpreziosi chose, this phase is no longer necessary; it is therefore possible to proceed directly with processing and/or transformation. Copolyester’s reduced thermal capacity, in combination with elimination of the pre-drying process, allows significantly reducing energy consumption in the manufacturing and transformation processes.
Italpreziosi cases and gift boxes are made with FSC® – Forest Stewardship Council® certified pure cellulose paper and cardboard. The certification confirms that the forest from which the raw material comes is managed so as to preserve biological diversity and bring benefits to the lives of local people and workers, while ensuring economic sustainability. The paper that makes up the Italpreziosi Cases and Gift Boxes is also classified as ECF (- Elemental Chlorine Free, or “chlorine free”), Acid Free (acid free) and Long Life (ISO 97/06 standard).
In our 2020-2025 Business Plan, protection of the environment, biodiversity and water, with the well-being of our people, were the driving forces behind the design for the new Italpreziosi headquarters.
The goal is not to increase environmental impact due to extended overbuilding of the territories, but to redevelop existing industrial structures, through the most modern construction techniques, as well as to achieve maximum energy efficiency objectives.
At the same time, an attempt was made to restore value to companies that are part of the history of Arezzo’s industrial and artisan sector, but which had been in a clear downward trend for several years.
The actions implemented were primarily the identification of a sub-area of the industrial area in which Italpreziosi is present, which presented companies similar to its processing that needed new inspiration and a return to the splendor of the past.
Furthermore, an attempt was made to understand if the neighboring areas had additional buildings in total decay, which could be annexed to the redevelopment project in progress.
The declared objective is to create a centralized, multifunctional, innovative, sustainable industrial center of considerable importance and attractiveness. The new environments will be totally on a human scale and will respect the highest safety standards. At the same time, we must completely revise the logic of internal and external workflows by pursuing an agile philosophy, which translates into efficiency of resources and consequential reduction of energy waste. “LOCALLY” Planning for the future The structures will be equipped with air and vapor treatment systems produced during processing, which feature all the most modern technologies and follow the relevant European directives. The processes that will be conducted here will be totally at the center of the circularity theme, being capable of recovering waste materials containing metals and creating products of high interest for the market and with high added value. All this closes the circle and gives new life to products previously considered waste of low intrinsic value, mostly destined for landfills or waste-to-energy plants.
The production plants will be of the latest generation, built with the most efficient and modern construction techniques, highly technological and fully integrated according to Industry 4.0 procedures. These will also be totally Made in Italy with 100% recyclable materials and will be absolutely unique, as they are made specifically to meet Italpreziosi’s needs, in terms of production efficiency, energy and waste vapor treatment.
Energy efficiency will also be achieved through installation of photovoltaic panels on the production plants’ entire coverage area as well as building a hydrogen fuel production plant. The surplus products, generated by these two processes, will then be made available to the community, using the already existing distribution networks. All this will make Italpreziosi energy self-sufficient and zero impact.
Choosing responsible consumption and production is a crucial step that every single actor in the supply chain must take for a safer future for our planet.
In our Know Your Counterpart (KYC) on-boarding procedures within the Compliance Department, all environmental documentation is carefully analyzed. All our suppliers, based on their activity, must submit specific documents certifying their commitment to maintaining adequate environmental standards. Furthermore, we always request additional information on initiatives or plans to reduce or totally eliminate impacts on the environment.
Our counterparty analysis examines in detail all the chemicals used in their process, both before the employment relationship and during, to determine a counterparty evaluation.
The metal’s origin is always fundamental. In our “Index of High Risk Countries” which we update annually, an analysis of the environment is always conducted. Sources used are always international organizations, private compliance firms, government databases and regulations, and NGO reports. The goal is to have a clear environmental regulatory framework as well as an analysis of any protected zones or areas, or world heritage sites. This is because, by analyzing the area of origin, we can be sure that the material we purchase does not come from areas with high environmental risk. If there are potential counterparties, we try to understand how to support them in mitigating the risk coming from the operational area. It is also important for us to train our counterparties on issues regarding climate, environment, biodiversity and responsible mining.
We guarantee the highest quality and sustainability standards through documentary verification work followed by site visits to certify the truthfulness of the information obtained.
In 2019 we joined planetGold’s Program Advisory Group (PAG), which involves various stakeholders from the United Nations, NGOs, associations, private sector companies and public authorities.
The planetGOLD program works in partnership with governments, the private sector and ASGM communities in nine countries to significantly improve the production practices and working environment of artisanal and small-scale miners. By working to bridge the funding gap, supporting financing, raising awareness and connecting mining communities with mercury-free technology and formal markets, the program aims to demonstrate a path towards cleaner and more efficient small-scale gold mining practices to benefit all, from the mine to the market.
Supporting countries’ commitments under the Minamata Mercury Convention, the planetGOLD program is working to eliminate mercury from the artisanal and small-scale gold miners supply chain (ASGM) to:
Support efforts to integrate the ASGM sector into the formal economy, society and regulatory system
Introduce and facilitate access to mercury-free technologies and best practices in ASGM
Facilitate miners’ access to formal gold supply chains, in partnership with gold buyers and industrial users
Pilot a series of models for small-scale miners and their communities to access investment and financing
Supported by the Global Environment Facility, planetGOLD is coordinated by the United Nations Environment Programme and implemented in partnership with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, United Nations Development Programme, and Conservation International.
The planetGOLD program is supported by 19 government authorities and other organizations in Burkina Faso, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Indonesia, Kenya, Mongolia, Peru and the Philippines. In June 2020, the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Council approved a new program to expand planetGOLD into 15 countries. Italpreziosi has actively participated in the creation of the community supply chain from Colombia, in partnership with the United Nations, Colombian Government Authorities, Alliance for Responsible Mining (ARM) and trusted business partners.
To find out more, see the video of the event organized during the last OECD Forum on Responsible Mineral Supply Chains.
Precious Metals Refining and Trading
Strada A, 32 – Loc. San Zeno
52100 Arezzo – Italia
P.IVA 01111420517
info@italpreziosi.it
Italpreziosi S.P.A | Strada A, 32 – Loc. San Zeno 52100 Arezzo – Italia | P.IVA 01111420517
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