Environment

Cartiera S. Rocco S.p.A. is convinced that the relationship between industry, citizen, man and the environment is a strategic point today that should be of interest to everybody. In particular the environment is a global problem concerning all sectors and is ideological, ethical, political, social, economic and juridical. Moreover, the Environment represents the most important lever in social sustainability of development of industry in particular. The recent constant evolutions in regulations in the area of environmental law go to show this and involve individual citizens and their associations, public administration, companies and workers in all production sectors. The increasing sensibility towards the environment by European Community in their recent policies is concrete proof of this. The elaboration of the GREEN BOOKS, which are voluntary instruments for environmental policies (The Ecoaudit and Ecolabel Regulations), the financial incentives for the protection of the environment (in particular the c.d. programme LIFE) and the constitution of the independent EUROPEAN ENVIRONMENT AGENCY are also examples of this sensibility.

Faced by the collective need to safeguard the environmental system and to assure true cohesion between the productive systems and the social and cultural systems, environmental tolerability inside the ecosystems cannot be entrusted to commands and control instruments alone but it is necessary to use the virtuous voluntary and innovative tools which follow the logic of planning and programming and are also in line with the behaviour of individuals, associations and private and public companies. With this in mind the systems for environmental management, which are sustained by the European Community, such as EMAS, represent an evolution in the sensibility and the respect of the environment by industry.

Cartiera S. Rocco S.p.A. is involved in this continual scheme to improve environmental awareness and is ensuring its own contribution in social promotion and national production, linked to tissue paper in particular, by working and striving towards the most eco-compatible products possible in the production processes.

Waste paper and the environment

Paper and cardboard are materials that can be saved and recycled a number of times. The terms waste paper and recycling fibres mean that the paper has already been used for the purpose which is was made for and that is is being used again in the production process, which is what happens in Cartiera S. Rocco S.p.A. The pulp has the fundamental characteristic of being able to be used time and time again. Thanks to this characteristic, a sheet of paper can be used to make new paper after it has been used fro a first time. As well as the virgin pulp fibres (or that is the fibre which come from trees), the paper is produces (up until 100%) from recycled or waste paper or cardboard. The advantage of producing of waste paper is twofold, on one hand it avoids having to fell trees unnecessarily to produce pulp and on the other hand there is an increase in the ratio between raw materials used and the quantity produced. In fact the fibres in waste paper is more than 90% efficient in production whereas the raw materials starting out from trees are only from 30 to 80% efficient, according to the how the wood has been ground (semi-chemically, chemically using thermo mechanics, chemically and mechanically or mechanically). For example, with the traditional semi-chemical system (kraft) 2 to 3.5 tons of wood are needed for one tonne of pulp. Moreover, it is important to remember that the significant energy and water saving involved by using waste paper. This can quantify a reduction in water consumption up to 80% and a saving of up to 50% in the amount of energy used. This is why it is so important to encourage the separation of paper from general waste.