Finsa achieves C2C Certified™ Bronze for its products

In collaboration with Eco Intelligent Growth (EIG), FINSA submitted its best-selling product to be assessed by the most demanding program in health and verification for analysis of integration in the Circular Economy cycle.
 
EIG, a consultant for innovation in the circular economy, and the only company on the Iberian Peninsula that is accredited for assessing products, has worked with FINSA over the course of a year to achieve this ambitious goal.

Aware of the link that our activity has to the environment, one of our main concerns is to ensure responsible management of the wood we use in production. We have been sourcing wood from controlled and responsible sources for years, preferring wood from PEFC and FSC farms. All our production comes from the areas around the factories, and we also take advantage of waste and surplus from neighbouring producers.
 
Energy use is another relevant matter. Through co-generation systems, FINSA has been able to optimize the demand for energy at its facilities as far as possible.
 
Cradle to Cradle and Circular Economy

In April 2018, FINSA began its collaboration with Eco Intelligent Growth (EIG), with the aim of incorporating the principles of Cradle to Cradle and the Circular Economy. FINSA panels have countless applications, so a positive change in their health-related qualities facilitates exponential change. Conscious of this fact, FINSA decided to opt for the most demanding product assessment program for the Circular Economy.
 
Although the company already has Environmental Product Declarations and the European Ecolabel, and although it already complies with ISO standards, the health and Circular Economy integration capabilities of the panels had not been fully considered.  Over the course of a year, FINSA and EIG worked to identify product components, researching the entire supply chain, in order to obtain Cradle to Cradle Certified Bronze for a range of 5 families of bare panels, manufactured in 3 of its 7 factories.

A long journey
The C2C Circular Economy framework offers benefits for people, the environment and the economy. FINSA is working within this framework, and intends to extend its scope to the rest of its production in a staggered manner.
 
Therefore, it is continuing to work in this direction, and in early 2020 the first certification was extended with the following significant achievements:
Inclusion of chipboard and MDF panels.
Inclusion of the panels in their bare finish and melamine coated finish.
Inclusion of FINSA's 7 factories: FINSA SANTIAGO, FINSA PADRON, FINSA CELLA, FINSA FIBRANOR, FINSA OREMBER (SP); FINSA FRANCE (FR); LUSO FINSA (PT).
Inclusion of the 13 families of wood panels in FINSA's catalogue: Standard, flame retardant, water-repellent, EZ, Superpan P5, flame retardant EZ, water-repellent EZ, NAF, Exterior NAF and MDF Fibracolour.
Inclusion of a total of 964 product references.
 
FINSA and the 5 quality categories of C2C Certified™
Cradle to Cradle Certified™ assesses products according to 5 quality categories. The main achievements of FINSA in each of these categories are as follows:
 
Material Health: the inclusion of the melamine paper finish has been quite an achievement, due to the difficulties caused by the tough competition that currently exists. A minimum of 84%, by weight, of the substances present have been identified, and the objective of seeking alternatives to the problematic substances identified has been set.
 
Material Reutilization: FINSA's wood panels are 100% recyclable. In addition, the company has its own recycling system that allows it to reintroduce wood waste that could not be reused, from FINSA's customers or local recycling companies, into the production cycle.
 
Renewable Energy: FINSA's different factories use energy from renewable sources, and optimize production processes by taking advantage of co-generation energy.
 
Water Stewardship: An audit of the water use of FINSA's 7 plants has been conducted, as well as an audit of the water use in the specific area where they are located.
 
Social Fairness: The company has conducted an internal self-assessment, and an assessment of its direct suppliers, based on the Social Hotspot Database and B CORP.
 

Un camino de largo recorrido
El marco C2C Economía Circular ofrece beneficios a las personas, el medioambiente y la economía. FINSA trabaja en ese marco y desea ampliar el alcance hacia el resto de su producción de forma escalonada.
 
Por ello, continúa trabajando en esta dirección y a principios de 2020 se amplía la primera certificación con los siguientes logros significativos:
Inclusión de tableros de aglomerado y MDF.
Inclusión de los tableros en su acabado desnudo y su acabado con recubrimiento de melamina.
Inclusión de las 7 fábricas de FINSA: FINSA SANTIAGO, FINSA PADRON, FINSA CELLA, FINSA FIBRANOR, FINSA OREMBER (SP); FINSA FRANCE (FR); LUSO FINSA (PT).
Inclusión de las 13 familias de tablero de madera del catálogo de FINSA: Estándar, ignífugo, hidrófugo, EZ, Superpan P5, ignífugo EZ, hidrófugo EZ, NAF, Exterior NAF y MDF Fibracolour.
Inclusión de un total de 964 referencias de productos.
 
FINSA y las 5 categorías de calidad de C2C Certified™
Cradle to Cradle Certified™ evalúa los productos de acuerdo con 5 categorías de calidad. Estos son los principales logros de FINSA en cada uno de ellos:
 
Material Health: la inclusión del acabado con papel de melamina ha sido todo un logro debido la las dificultades que genera la dura competencia que existe actualmente. Se ha logrado identificar un mínimo del 84% en peso de las sustancias presentes y se ha fijado el objetivo de buscar alternativas a las sustancias problemáticas identificadas.
 
Material Reutilization: Los tableros de madera de FINSA son 100% reciclables. Además, la empresa cuenta con un sistema propio de reciclaje que permite reintroducir en el ciclo productivo deshechos de madera que no podían ser reutilizados, provenientes de clientes de FINSA o empresas de reciclaje locales.
 
Renewable Energy: En las diferentes fábricas de FINSA se utiliza energía de fuente renovable y los procesos de producción están optimizados aprovechando la energia  de las cogeneraciones.
 
Water Stewardship: Se ha realizado una auditoría del uso de agua de las 7 plantas de FINSA, así como del uso del agua en área específica de su ubicación.
 
Social Fairness: La empresa ha llevado a cabo una auto evaluación interna y de sus proveedores directos basada en la Social Hotspot Database y B CORP.