The ISO14001 is one of a family of international standards regarding environmental management, and is the only one that companies can be externally certified to.
Central to the series of environmental standards, ISO14001 specifies the requirements for an environmental management system that will be used to control and continually improve the company’s environmental impact.
Indena has gained certification for its main production site in Setalla (Milan), Italy, although the company plans to certify all of its production sites.
Moves that have been implemented and will be improved over time are related to reducing the consumption of water and energy, and waste and packaging reduction.
One of the hardest things to improve is waste management, which is also currently one of the business's most environmentally costly practices, Indena's health and safety manager, Lorenzo Palvarini explained.
Underlines long term efforts
Palvarini said these moves are not new for the company and Indena has been making efforts in this direction for some time.
“We are proud of having received the ISO14001 certification because it validates our ongoing commitment to progressively reduce the environmental impact of our production activities,” he said.
Gaining the ISO14001 standard illustrates a company’s desire to look at the environmental impact of its operations – although it does not state specific environmental criteria that have to be adhered to – and many businesses in the cosmetics sector are getting certified.
Late last year, IFF subsidiary LMR based in France also gained the certification and said it reflected its desire to commit to an environmentally responsible way of working.
French ingredients suppliers Alban Muller and Sederma are also ISO14001 certified.