Together for a Better Future is the title Ideal Standard has given to its first sustainability report in which, in addition to its plan to achieve carbon neutrality, it sets out its approach with regard to waste management, the use of sustainable packaging, and how it has maintained and increased world-class safety standards across its operations. The report outlines Ideal Standard’s nine committments in areas such as decarbonization, circular economy, product innovation, safety and equality, which together will drive significant change. These nine goals are closely aligned with the sustainability principles defined by the United Nations Global Compact, which the company joined in 2022 as a tangible sign of its commitment to responsible business actions.
Together for a Better Future sets clear and verifiable targets to monitor and measure progress along the manufacturing pathway, including the goal of reducing carbon emissions, Scope 1 and 2, by 30 percent in 2030, with a view to achieving full carbon neutrality by 2050. Ideal Standard has already taken important steps in the area of sustainability, converting its Rugeley ceramic plant in the UK to electricity sourced entirely from renewable sources, resulting in a reduction of 2,200 tons of CO2 per year.
The company also installed more than 3,000 photovoltaic panels at its German faucet factory in Wittlich, which will generate 1.2 million kWh of energy per year, and switched to using 100% FFS/PEFC-certified sustainable wood in all its furniture.
“As one of the leading manufacturers in the bathroom industry,” says Jonas Nilsson, co-CEO of Ideal Standard International, “we recognize that we have an important role to play in succeeding in shaping a responsible future for industry and society, and we are committed to meeting this challenge. To ensure that we make a real impact we need to look at the company’s processes in their entirety to commit that there in every area for progressive and constant change.”
The company has also embarked on a program to achieve zero waste to landfill by 2030. Ideal Standard already reuses 100 percent of brass and acrylic waste in its manufacturing processes and is currently working with environmental authorities to find new technical solutions to improve recycling of ceramic waste, from 70 percent to 100 percent, by 2025. In addition, the company is committed to removing all single-use plastic packaging by 2025 and has so far removed 80 tons of virgin plastic from its packaging through optimization and transition to sustainable alternatives.
Transparency is at the heart of Ideal Standard’s sustainability program, which is why the company is about to publish Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), the cornerstone of which is the ‘cradle to grave’ Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology for more than 5,000 of its products within its largely European supply chain. EPD declarations will help the entire supply chain-customers, architects, and designers-assess the environmental impact of Ideal Standard products, analyze the ecological footprint of their processes, and achieve environmental goals. The full life cycle assessments will cover products in all categories, including faucets, sinks, sanitary ware, cisterns, bathtubs, shower trays and more, providing detailed, independently verified information for each.
Also launched with the report is EcoLogic, an eco label to help customers easily identify Ideal Standard’s environmentally friendly products and make informed purchasing choices. EcoLogic focuses on four core values at the heart of Ideal Standard’s commitment: hygiene, sustainable materials and production processes, and water and energy conservation.
For more information visit: www.idealstandard.it
