2019 Sustainability Report

70% of the Group’s total consumption of electricity and thermal energy in 2019 came from renewable sources.

Aquafil released its annual Group Sustainability Report, reflecting insights on the company’s commitment to doing business sustainably. The report showcases the results the Group has achieved in helping to support and protect employees, local communities, and the environment as a whole.

Here, we highlight some of the key results taken from this year Report:

1. According to the Company’s 2019 Sustainability Report, 70% of the Group’s total consumption of electricity and thermal energy came from renewable sources. The report also noted, Aquafil’s greenhouse gas emissions have been reduced by 58% since 2016.
2. ECONYL® nylon has a 90% reduction on global warming potential compared to virgin nylon. And regarding Sourcing of Raw Materials, ECONYL® comes from 100% waste material of which a minimum of 50% post-consumer waste is certified.
3. Aquafil drafted a sustainability plan to guide the Group’s commitments and activities in the mid-term. Aquafil disclosed these commitments in their ECO PLEDGE® guidelines, summarizing their commitment in five sustainability “pillars”. The pillars and areas for improvement are in line with the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), acting as a framework to communicate Aquafil’s model for sustainable development to the world.
4. In 2019, Aquafil SpA obtained the SA 8000 certification, which guarantees respect for the rights of the Group’s workers and those who operate in the supply chain. Aquafil is committed to protecting the environment, and those who wish to protect it, throughout the entire supply chain.

Through surveyed research in the Capgemini Research Institute’s latest report, Consumer Products and Retail: How sustainability is fundamentally changing consumer preferences, it was found that eight out of ten consumers are making sustainability-based purchase choices, even as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. Consumer preferences are strongly impacted by sustainability. Organizations are missing out on key opportunities to build sustainable businesses with benefits that include loyalty, employee churn, ESG performance, sales protection, and growth.

For more than 30 years Aquafil has been committed to respecting the environment in every phase of its own nylon production process. This emphasis on operating through a circular economy is a core value of the company’s business strategy: to save resources, give new life to otherwise lost materials, increase efficiency along the value chain. Aquafil has been tracking its sustainability goals and achievements in the annual Sustainability Report since it was first published in 2007. Step by step the company has positioned itself as an international sustainability leader.

“The journey to a circular economy isn’t done alone. Aquafil sees the important roles of each actor within the supply chain. From consumers to suppliers, the Aquafil Group is committed to improving together,” said Giulio Bonazzi, CEO and Chairman of Aquafil.

He continued, “Today’s global challenges ask us to make a choice: side with those innovators who make a difference, or simply respond to market demands. Aquafil decided what side to be on more than 10 years ago, choosing to become a leader, always at the forefront of its field, in the ranks of those who truly – with facts and results, every day – carry on a different business model. An uphill journey, not easy, but immensely exciting and rewarding.”

Aquafil is committed to tackling today’s global challenges with sustainable solutions. In the Group’s 2019 Financial Report, Aquafil dedicates an entire chapter disclosing non-financial insights on their year’s sustainability reporting. To review this in its full length, please download here.
Download 2019 Sustainability Report summary.