A reduction of over 5,000 tons of CO_2e into the atmosphere and the reduction of 9.1% in water consumption

The use of renewable energy and rail transport confirm the Group's commitment towards an eco-sustainable production

Over 5,000 tons of CO_2e atmospheric reduction as well as the reduction of water consumption equal to 9.1% and raw materials made from 54% recycled paper.

These are the results of the sustainable production of The Lucart Group, published in the eleventh edition of the 2015 Sustainability Report that will be presented to the public during the Ecomondo fair in Rimini.

"In our Company “Lucart”, being sustainable means creating long lasting value not only for the Company and its Shareholders however also for our Employees and their families, for the Communities in which we operate and for our Partners, whether Suppliers or Clients. This has been made possible thanks to the transition from a linear economy to a circular economy, emphasizing the use of recovered fibers, with the capacity to protect the environment and safeguard the development of local communities, without foresaking the quality of our products" to quote Massimo Pasquini, the CEO of the Lucart Group.

Outlined as follows, is the performance of the Lucart Group, photographed by the Sustainability Report 2015, which can be viewed on our website www.lucartgroup.com:

- Recycled materials: in 2015 the pulp selected, whether from the industrial supply chains or from household collections, have reached 54% of total raw materials processed at our Lucart Group plants.

- Rail transport: from 2013 Lucart has doubled (from 572 to 1154) the number of carriages with a specific mobility program for both incoming and outgoing goods from the Diecimo plant (Lucca), with a significant reduction in traffic and typical pollutant emissions of road transport of 483 tCO_2e less, released into the atmosphere.

-Reducing water consumption: thanks to the increase in the quantity of water recycled in the production process and the reduction of the requirements for the production process itself, in 2015 Lucart has reduced the consumption of water by 9.1% (vs. 2014) per tonne of paper produced, as well as the consumption of steam, another widely used resource for drying paper, which has been decreased compared to 2014.

- In 2015 the use of alternative renewable energy sources has prevented the emission of more than 1,500 tCO_2e in total into the atmosphere. Specifically the two Photovolcaic plants installed: one in the Capannori area (2011) and the other in the  Avigliano plant (active since 2013), have reduced emissions of 935 tCO_2e.

Among the specific measures taken in 2015 in the Diecimo plant (Lucca), we would like to highlight that the installation of LED lamps and of an inverter of a pulper machine, has resulted in a reduction of carbon dioxide emissions by 98 tCO_2e.

- The cogeneration plants fueled by methane gas in the Porcari and Castelnuovo in Garfagnana plants, which fully cover the energy needs and generate a surplus which is pumped into the network, together with other interventions for reducing the use of natural gas and steam, have reduced 3,600 tCO2e in the atmosphere, compared to 2014. This result was made possible thanks to the completion of the first Cogeneration plant with Integrated EcoRecupero. The fumes recovery project of the gas turbine for the direct drying of the paper in 2015, has enabled a reduction in the necessity of methane gas amounting to over 2 million m³.

All these measures, together with various other actions, have made it possible to reduce more than 5,000 tCO_2e of emissions.

Almost 2 billion beverage cartons recovered and approx. 900,000 trees saved, are the calculations of what would have been necessary to produce the equivalent amount of virgin fiber paper, over 52,000 tons of CO_2e prevented, thanks to the nonoccurance of landfill disposal of beverage cartons. These are the environmental benefits achieved in three years from 2013-2015 of the Fiberpack^® project, the flagship of The Lucart Group, which testifies the total applicability of the principles of circular economy to the tissue sector.

Fiberpack^®, the innovative treatment process, developed in 2011 by the Lucart Group, thanks to the collaboration with Tetra Pak^®, which separates the cellulose fibers from the rest of the materials with precision, using clean technology and zero waste, enables the recovery of 100% of the components of beverage cartons.

Lucart Group

Lucart Group, a multinational Italian industrial group founded in the province of Lucca in 1953, is one of the main producers in Europe of mono-glazed paper and tissue products (paper articles intended for daily consumption, such as toilet paper, kitchen paper, napkins, tablecloths, handkerchiefs, etc.). The company's over 60 years of activity have allowed it to develop great know-how, experience and the technology needed to make top-quality products capable of meeting the customer's needs in the best way possible. The production systems installed at the Group's various plants make it possible to manufacture a wide range of products with complete control over every phase of the production process, from the choice of raw materials to the definition of the characteristics of the finished product. Lucart Group's production capacity is equal to 310,000 tons of paper/year, split over 10 continuous machines (one of which for air-laid paper) and 55 converting lines. The company's production activities are distributed over 3 Business Units (Business to Business, Professional and Consumer) operating in the development and sales of various products with distinctive brands such as Tenderly, Tutto, Grazie Natural and Smile (Consumer area), Lucart Professional, Tenderly Professional, Fato and Velo (Professional area). The ranges include products created to satisfy the needs of different types of users, from large companies to end consumers. The consolidated turnover is equal to about € 415 million, with a total workforce of 1,300 employees, 7 production plants (5 in Italy,1 in France and 1 in Hungary), covering a total surface area of 750,000 m². The Diecimo (LU) plant is one of the largest facilities in Europe dedicated to the production and conversion of tissue paper. Lucart has always represented a company with a strong aptitude for innovation. For example, it was the first Italian company to develop the pulp de-inking technique for the production of tissue paper and of thin mono-glazed paper for flexible packaging. Lucart also developed the first system in Italy capable of recovering the cellulose fibres contained in Tetra Pak^® containers, an eco-revolutionary project that has allowed us to obtain top-quality paper in full respect of the environment. The quality of the products and the respect for the environment are always the basis of the Group's strategic choices, proven by the various certifications it has obtained, such as Ecolabel (the first Italian company to be certified), PEFC^TM, FSC^®, UNI EN ISO 9001 and 14001 etc. The facility in Diecimo is one of the first integrated industrial facilities, paper mill and converting on the same site, in Europe for the production of tissue paper and to have obtained EMAS environmental registration.