What are the main reasons that pushed you towards the voluntary EPD certification?
Attention to environmental issues has always been in the DNA and culture of Profiltubi and through this certification we wanted to give a formal appearance to all the actions that we carry out in the company on this issue.
We realize how attention to the environment is increasingly crucial for the world around us and, for the steel industry in particular, this means facing many challenges.
This certification demonstrates that with passion and technical competence we can already build a more sustainable future today. Steel also has a very important feature: it is 100% recyclable and infinite times. For decades, steel mills have used high percentages of steel scrap to produce the coils that we receive daily, consequently our products are also obtained from recycled material.
Which product of your company has obtained the EPD? What are its main features?
Our production focuses on electro-welded carbon steel tube. The production process involves cold forming followed by longitudinal welding. This process is replicated on seven profiling lines in a substantially identical way, so that – despite the differences in the size and quality of steel – our entire range is certified. Our pipes can be used in construction, in metal structures and for precision applications (windows, furniture, light carpentry).
What are the main advantages obtained from the publication of the Environmental Product Declaration? What are the repercussions on the final consumer?
The world around us is increasingly attentive to environmental issues and the sustainability of products and industrial processes. This certification allows us to communicate and share information on this issue with our partners in a clear and structured way. Our customers and regulatory bodies are increasingly demanding; this type of commitment and transparency will be increasingly important in orienting choices towards certain selected products and suppliers.
This indirectly reflects on the product and the final consumer, who is also increasingly attentive to sustainable behavior.
Do you think that EPDItaly can contribute to spreading the culture of product sustainability?
Absolutely yes. It can help to investigate this important issue in environments where industrial production is often seen only as a source of pollution. We must be rigorous and avoid that this type of certification ends up being associated with “green-washing”, it would be extremely deleterious for the system at a time when it is easy to lose credibility without objective reasons.
How important, in your opinion, is the presence of sustainable Italian products within a Program Operator that makes the international network one of its strengths?
In the past, these issues were often linked to the countries of Northern Europe, but this sensitivity is now part of our daily life in all the markets in which we are present. It is therefore clear that being part of an international network will only spread this culture and will give a signal of how this issue is important to the Italian industry, which in particular in our sector is a leader in Europe.