Ence’s biofactory in Pontevedra has received the “Zero Waste” environmental certificate granted by AENOR to those organizations that carry out a more efficient management of their waste and that are capable of valuing it.
The Director of the Pontevedra’s Biofactory, Paulo Gaia, together with the Director of Quality and Environment of the plant, Carlos Casas, have been responsible for collecting this recognition that only five companies have throughout Spain.
The AENOR certificate certifies that Ence values all its waste fractions, preventing them from having the final destination of the landfill, and supports their commitment to the circular economy model, while demonstrating their firm commitment to sustainability and environmental care. A commitment that has also been recognized from the international level, with the granting of the Gold Distinction of the European Commission and the Nordic Swan ecolabel, official ecological seal of the Scandinavian governments.
In the case of Ence, the Lourizán biofactory valued in 2018 almost all of its waste (99.1%). Through its reuse, recycling or energy recovery, the plant not only prevented these materials from ending up in landfills, but also reintroduced them into its value chain, giving them a new life.
The granting of this certificate is part of the circular economy model, as it promotes proper waste management through the responsible, efficient and sustainable use of resources.
Ence’s biofactory activity itself is an example of a contribution to the aforementioned circular economy: throughout the cellulose production process, the plant produces and operates with recyclable materials. At the same time, it generates renewable electricity from biomass using lignin, a component of wood that constitutes an excellent renewable and natural biofuel.
In this way, the more than 5,000 jobs linked to Ence Pontevedra also contribute, with their daily work, to reducing energy intensity and the carbon footprint, as well as to advancing on the path of energy transition, towards the objectives of decarbonization marked from the European Commission.
