Sustainability

Good for nature, people and thingsi

For more than 80 years Cleca spa's choices have been guided by an idea "Think today about what the future holds for us", which is why every day we choose to enforce a sustainable production policy. The care and dedication, which the products are manufactured with, is accompanied by a constant commitment to reducing the environmental impact in the manufacturing processes, in the distribution phase and in the consumption of our products;
This allows us to bring into the homes of Italians products rich in taste and with A low environmental impact.

“TRADITION AND INNOVATION PERFECTLY MIXED TO CREATE GOOD PRODUCTS,
EASY TO PREPARE AND SUSTAINABLE”

To achieve this goal we are committed to principles such as prevention, protection and continuous improvement in order to increase the sustainability of activities, products and services. We encourage the maximum participation of our employees and associates in prevention actions to identify sources of risk and environmental impact, involving and empowering all levels of the company. These important commitments can be achieved through two important goals.

Increasingly sustainable production

Starting from 2013 as regards the San Martino plant, and from 2021 for the Mantova plant, it has significantly reduced the energy requirements thanks to the photovoltaic system producing energy for its own consumption. Moreover, LED lamps combined with automatic on/off systems replaced most of the traditional lighting.

The attention to the saving of resources translates into the attention to the recovery of packaging materials that, where possible after a proper process of reconversion, are reused in production processes. Material that cannot be reconverted internally is collected and sorted to be sent for recovery and in special external plants.

The consumption of water resources is another issue addressed by Cleca, in fact the surplus water used in production processes is collected and properly treated and then be reused in the next production cycle. In addition, a steam recovery system, used in the sterilization process, is being studied to heat the plants by reducing the use of fossil energy sources.

The issue of distribution and procurement represents a further challenge that the company has set itself with a view to greater sustainability. Logistics was furthermore developed to minimize its impact by reducing the number of transports, storage locations and optimizing loads.

All this allows us to save direct CO2 emissions in addition to indirect emissions..

Sustainable Products

The search for ever greater sustainability led Cleca to invest in organic farming and to use natural ingredients instead of chemical ones. In our factories, more and more raw materials from organic farming and natural ingredients are being used to replace industrial production substitutes, opting for raw and auxiliary materials that have high environmental compatibility. In addition, in 2015 Cleca became an RSPO member in order to be part of the supply chain that promotes the production of sustainable palm oil. This means that Cleca uses palm oil produced according cultivation practices that respect tropical forests and their ecosystems.

Since 2019 Cleca spa has been certified UTZ (today Rainforest Alliance) to promote the use and dissemination of raw materials from sustainable cultivation. In year 2023, the company obtained Fairtrade certification, in order to be part of the sustainable cocoa supply chain.

For the company, sustainability means not only research and innovation, but also the recovery of ancient traditions. Among our best-selling products is in fact the "Lievito Antica Ricetta", whose formulation takes up the ancient recipe with "Cremore di Tartaro". This ingredient, naturally present in grapes, is deposited when the wine is left to rest in tanks and, wisely mixed, it makes the cakes rise.

Among the company's decisions in terms of sustainability, there is the choice to use less and less plastic for the packaging materials, by launching products characterized by the claim "-75% of plastic".

Cleca decided to invest in recyclable packaging, in fact a part of our primary packaging is 100% recyclable, others will be shortly, also evaluating possible compostable packaging.

Furthermore, where possible, secondary packaging is made exclusively of recycled cardboard, also FSC certified.

Environmental Policy

Cleca is aware that a responsible economic strategy, attentive to problems regarding product quality and environment, is essential to safeguard all subjects, both internal and external, involved with the company.

Therefore, from the beginning of 2021, Cleca has embarked in a path to fulfill the ISO 14001 standard.

The company is aware that the continuous improvement of its performance concerning the environment leads to significant commercial and economical advantages and also satisfies the progress expectations of the territorial contexts in which it operates with the three plants.

Cleca is committed to preventing administrative offences and crimes against the environment and workplace safety through a system of control and organization.

The company is currently committed to:

improving the Environment Management System (EMS) by verifying the fulfillment of requisites and documenting its compliance to existing laws and regulations for the environment, integrating it with the Quality Management System and the Safety System.
Communicating the activities carried out to involved parties regarding the environment, pursuing a continuous improvement and open dialogue.
Preventing any form of offence related to the environment.
Preventing pollution and applying adequate measures to mitigate the impacts.
Promoting all personnel’s responsibility towards the protection of the environment and creating programs of information and training on ethical quality and compliance with the law.
Encouraging any internal initiative for the protection of the environment and the active participation for continuous improvement.
Ensuring the cooperation with public authorities by developing a collaborative relationship and providing them all the necessary information for the environmental safeguard and risk prevention in a complete, correct, adequate and timely manner.
Paying attention to solicitations coming from the community the company operates in, assessing initiatives of consultation, information and involvement.
Knowing in broad terms the environmental management of its suppliers, trying to promote their culture and involvement in its integrated management system for a continuous improvement.
Assessing technological processes that offer lower environmental impacts where it’s technically possible and economically sustainable.
Replacement of the lighting system with lower consumption solutions (e.g. fully integrated LED lighting at Mantova plant).
Assessing the introduction of raw and auxiliary materials in the production process that have a better environmental compatibility compared to the previously used ones (e.g., tank to be filled with sunflower seed oil to totally eliminate the related packaging materials).
Assessing alterative solutions of more sustainable packagings, introducing plastic mono-materials or paper materials C/PAP certified by ATICELCA, 100% recyclable, and assessing of compostable or more recyclable materials (e.g., substitution of multilayered packagings with 100% recyclable plastic reels for powdered products, San Martino plant, substitution of multilayered jars with a new bottom to make them recyclable in paper materials, Bologna plant, new type of case in substitution of the traditional plastic, contributing to decrease the use of plastic by a 75%, Mantova plant).
Using cardboard material with FSC certification where economically sustainable and in agreement with customers.
Assessing the environmental aspects of the production processes and activities to adopt management procedures that minimize any significantly negative environmental impact.
Checking the control systems of environmental aspects that, in case of irregularities, may create negative impacts (emissions, consumptions of natural and energetic resources, water discharges, wastes, dangerous substances).
Managing wastes separately (sorted waste of paper/cardboard, plastic and aluminium).
Periodically verifying the necessary measures to reduce environmental impacts related to emergency situations.
Using a photovoltaic system (since 2013 in the San Martino plant, since 2021 in the Mantova plant) for the production of electric energy. For year 2023, the project for the construction of new photovoltaic systems, for the three plants, has been approved.

Cleca also made choices of sustenability, and specifically:

has chosen to use Certified Green Energy in its plants, that is energy coming from renewable sources.
in 2015 became a member of RSPO and initiated the related certification in the plant of Bologna in order to join the supply chain that favours the products of sustainable palm oil.
in 2019 initiated the certification UTZ (today Rainforest Alliance) in the plant of San Martino, in order to join the supply chain of sustainable cocoa.
in 2021 we started the certification procedure to obtain the ISO 14001 for all production plants
in 2022 the plant located in Mantova obtained the ISO 14001 environmental certification and the RSPO certification.
at beginning of 2023, we obtained Fairtrade certification at San Martino plant, in order to be part of the sustainable cocoa supply chain.
the drafting of a Corporate Sustainability Report is in definition phase.