Almeco’s commitment to the environment originates in the very choice of raw material that is the subject of its processing activities.
Aluminium and copper in fact possess the optimal characteristics to be 100 percent recycled and they are permanent materials, that means infinitely reusable, to bring new products to life again and again. What’s more, the recycling process requires an extremely small input of electricity – about 5% – of that required for primary material production.
Aluminum also makes a major contribution to improve energy performance, comfort and buildings sustainability, being it an excellent conductor of electricity and heat and thus having an important role in the production of renewable energy from solar sources: for this reason, as well as for its many intrinsic characteristics (ductility and workability, light weight, mechanical strength, resistance to corrosion and weathering, low maintenance costs, and non-combustibility) it finds wide application both in new buildings and in the renovation of existing ones.
Almeco has for years beencommitted to reducing CO2. In 2013, a 4,000m2 photovoltaic system was installed at the production plant in San Giuliano Milanese. Its total power is 510kW and allows for a reduction of approx. 385t per year in the production of CO2. In 2016, also at the Italian plant, a co-generator was installed, which further reduced emissions by 1,500t CO2.
A new oxidation line with an innovative “zero waste” fluid recycling system was installed in 2018.
All this allows the Italian facility to be ISO 14001:2015 certified, while the German facility, dedicated to vacuum processes, has also enjoyed ISO 18001 since its opening.
pigments and excess oxides are recovered during the process, while processing scraps are collected and recycled in the aluminum smelting process. All solvents used for cleaning machines or parts of them are washed together with the rags used, allowing them to avoid disposal as waste.
Several studies have shown that aluminum building products pose no health hazards to occupants or the outdoor environment. In both cases, today’s studies prove that the alloys used, the surface treatments, and the materials employed all have a neutral and non-harmful effect.. Aluminum building products have no negative impacts on either indoor air quality or on soil, surface water or groundwater.
Almeco ensures certified low-emission products with values of volatile organic compounds “VOC” extremely below legal limits.