Sustainability and innovation
El Carmen is aware that environmental sustainability is not a luxury but a requirement which all companies must strive towards in their business activity, helping to conserve the environment and meeting present needs without jeopardising those of future generations.
This respect for the environment is reflected in our strong commitment throughout the value chain, from the reception of the raw materials to the end of the product lifespan, optimising the use of natural resources and minimising our impact.
Circular economy and efficiency
We get the maximum use from our raw materials and reuse them for recycled materials
Our challenge is to optimise the production process and develop environmentally friendly products, always looking to ensure the best long-term results for the environment, and maximum efficiency.
- Zero emissions of volatile organic compounds in the production process.
- Development of new extrusion and manufacturing technologies to obtain products efficiently and responsibly.
- Investments to improve efficiency in the use of resources and energy consumption.
- Monitoring raw materials, internal production processes and end products to ensure compliance with environmental requirements.
- Development of an environmentally friendly product line, our green line.
Our business and its impact
One of our main goals is to make a positive contribution to the economic and social development of the communities where we work, while also protecting the environment and human health.
With this in mind, in 2009, after a substantial investment in a thermal oxidiser, we were awarded an Integrated Environmental Authorisation with administrative file number 0070/08 (Resolution 694/2009), which guarantees the company’s compliance with Charter Law 4/2005 of 22 March on intervention for environmental protection and Royal Legislative Decree 1/2016, of 16 December, approving the amended text of the law on integrated prevention and monitoring of pollution.
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Royal Legislative Decree 1/2016, of 16 December, is intended to prevent, or if this is not possible, reduce and monitor pollution and consists of a series of obligations for the owners of the industrial activity, which must be demonstrated in the case of El Carmen with:
- Measurement by an OCA (Authorised Control Body) of emissions from the thermal oxidiser every 2 years.
- OCA inspections of the chemical product storerooms.
- Annual presentation of official reports on waste management, solvent management, and declaration of packaging on the market.
- Presentation of a plan to minimise hazardous waste every 4 years.
- Presentation of a packaging business plan every 3 years.
- Inspections by the Government of Navarre to certify compliance with environmental legislation.
Also, El Carmen has implemented an Environmental Management System according to the standard UNE-EN ISO 14001:2015, certified in October 2017, which enables us to identify, assess and monitor the various environmental aspects of every phase of the production process.
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Achievements to date:
- Demonstrating the company’s commitment to legal compliance to the regulating bodies and governments.
- Demonstrating our commitment to the environment to our stakeholders, especially public bodies and clients.
- Constantly improving the management of environmental risks.
- Significantly reducing the risk of pollution.
- Differentiating ourselves from other companies by our commitment to the environment and continuous improvement.
El Carmen maintains its commitment to the environment and we are now involved in an energy efficiency project with the support of the Energy Diversification and Savings Institute (IDAE), thanks to which we have renovated equipment in order to minimise our environment impact. More information
Food quality and safety
Our own Quality Department and Laboratory are responsible for:
MONITORING RAW MATERIALS
We supervise all the raw materials which arrive at our facilities to ensure that they comply with all the technical and legal requirements before being added to the production process.
MIGRATION TESTING
We have strict manufacturing, hygiene and food safety protocols for all the items intended for the food industry. Each of them is subjected to regular migration testing to check their suitability.
CERTIFICATES
We review, improve on and maintain all the certifications and management systems set up in the organisation.
SUPPLIERS
All of our suppliers are exhaustively selected and vetted. We carry out regular tests and controls to check compliance with the regulations, technical specification and legal requirements of all the products.
Committed
to our clients