Since 2019, Panespol has been strategically committed to meeting the sustainable development goals set by the UN, thus making a strong commitment to the company’s progress in the field of sustainability and environmental protection.
Over the years, the company has drawn up a strict environmental plan with clear objectives and its own sustainability report. It also has the ISO 14001 certification, the second renewal of which is currently underway, and has calculated its carbon footprint annually, with significant reductions thanks to the fulfilment of all the objectives set.
In addition, Panespol is now proud to announce that the decorative panels manufactured at its plant are now EPD certified. The Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) provides accrediting companies with a reliable, relevant, transparent, comparable and verifiable environmental profile, which allows a product to be highlighted as environmentally friendly, based on life cycle assessment (LCA) information in accordance with international standards and quantified environmental data, from cradle to grave, of the product itself.
The declaration is obtained under the UNE-EN 15804:2012+A2:2020 standard. It is not a mandatory certification, but it provides very detailed and valuable information to consumers regarding the products used at a construction site. They also allow sustainability certification tools, such as LEED, BREEAM, or VERDE, to carry out their assessments with greater insight.
Panespol’s new commitment, with the award of the EPD, represents clear steps in the company’s sustainability strategy, a transversal plan that revolves around customisation, innovation, recycling and the development of solutions with thermal performance that contribute to reducing energy consumption in building and interior design.
From this certification and research, it can be concluded that the greatest environmental load on decorative panels is in the production of raw materials. The other stages have a lower contribution, with the panel manufacturing stage standing out, where the greatest environmental load is due to the production of the cardboard used as packaging.
It can be concluded that the manufacture of Panespol’s decorative panels does not have a great impact on the environment, however, the R&D department is constantly searching for new materials to reduce this burden. At present, some natural materials have already been approved and are being studied so that they can have their own EPD that allows a comparison, in environmental terms, between both types of panels.
Thanks to all the progress made over the last few years, Panespol has set itself apart in the sector by being honest, from the outset, with the provision of technical documentation in all its commercial discourse. This strategy is part of a responsibility as a transparent company: everything communicated can be proven with certificates granted by external bodies.
Furthermore, both the company itself and its suppliers have set themselves the goal of soon certifying the percentage of recycled material provided by all the partners in the value chain and to increase it continuously and responsibly year after year.
Panespol’s goals for the coming years are clear: to seek a continuous reduction of our carbon footprint until it is neutralised; to obtain certification for the introduction of recycled products in the manufacture of our panels, with a consequent annual increase; and to continue researching and developing natural raw materials that do as little damage as possible to the environment.
