The sustainability we like is the one that rhymes with quality. If we also add “uncompromising” then we are in the right place. For over 10 years Tecnogi has been producing eco-sustainable materials using recycled plastic compounds and making its own products recyclable. Gianni Zanetti, CEO of the Novara-based company, explains in this interview how this type of commitment represents an added value for everyone and a springboard towards a greener future.
How important is sustainability for Tecnogi?
“We are one of the – still too few – companies that have tried to make sustainability a true message, through technical and technological bases. There are three essential areas on which we have based all our research and innovation, both as regards the product and the process. The first, the one in which I believed the most, but which has not yet achieved the desired results, was biodegradability. I believe that one of the best solutions is to make a finished product that ends its life cycle in landfills and is biodegradable. So, as the texts say, within 60 days it will lose 80% of its weight. Tecnogi began to follow this path as early as 2013 giving life to “Biorel”, a completely biodegradable thermoplastic material for counters. “Biorel” has been certified biodegradable and compostable by the specialized institute OWS of Gent-Belgium because it fully complies with the requirements of the international standards EN 13432 and ASTM D 6400. After 60 days of permanence in humus (corresponding to that of landfill), BIOREL weight loss is about 87%. For years and years, the coveted results have not arrived to the point that our customers were amazed when they discovered that the certifications were even dated 2009. Fortunately, in the last two years, the trend has been reversing.”
You were true precursors…
“Yes, true pioneers. We had understood the importance of a different development model a long time ago. We can say that we are ahead of everyone.”
What about the second area?
“The second field of research and development is represented by materials from renewable sources. This is also a very interesting path. Obviously, in this case, we were assisted by the producers of specific raw materials. For example, if you wish to produce polyurethane-based item, it is necessary to find a polyurethane made with butanediol, coming from plants, bio butanediol to be precise, and not from fossil sources. We have thus been able to implement the choice of chemical products thanks also to the fact that more and more suppliers offer products of this type. I recently had a meeting with one of the Eni Group companies who offered us some butadienes, whose origin is always naphtha, but of vegetable and non-fossil origin. This is another topic that I particularly care about and in which our company has a greater pool of information than the others.”
The last but not the least…
“The third and last one, which is arousing the greatest interest because it is perhaps the simplest, is represented by GRS – Global Recycle Standard certified products. This type of certification is recognized by a third-party institute for all those products that contain at least 20% of recycled material. This, which in my eyes seemed a fairly modest route, is actually the path that is followed the most. However, Tecnogi did not stop there and took the opportunity to simultaneously develop a concept of circular economy. Normally our product is sold in sheets and transformed into small pieces to make tips and counters. The waste, the discarded skeleton, is collected, minced and reused. Within the GRS, therefore, we have also developed this model of production and consumption that is certainly much more sustainable than in the past. Obviously, it is necessary that other players take the field to collect and bring the leftovers back to us, that is, the customers. Foreign countries such as Portugal and Poland are already excellent in this field. And what’s better than re-valuing waste and making it come back to life? Many fashion brands have understood the importance of changing course and in us they have found the right partners to rely on.”
All this involves large investments…
“Behind these three projects there is study, expertise and a lot of research. At the moment all this has not yet given the expected results but we are optimistic. In the last two years we have seen a very strong acceleration. Let’s say that the value of the turnover achieved so far with these products is still modest, but undoubtedly the expectation is great and, as always, the projects grow over time.”
Gianni Zanetti, CEO Tecnogi