In celebration of World Water Week, Sofidel, a world leader in tissue paper manufacturing, is calling for the industry to align with the United Nation’s (UN) Sustainable Development Goals in support of people, the planet and prosperity.
Adhering to the philosophy of “Less is more”, Sofidel recognises the importance of water in the balance of the planet and is committed to limiting the consumption of water in its production processes.
More recently, the company has committed, through its 3 years partnership with WaterAid, to support the international development charity to provide some of the world’s poorest communities with access to clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene.
Mindful that sustainable development can be achieved only through valuable partnerships between business, NGOs and governments, Sofidel is supporting specifically this year WaterAid’s Healthy Communities project in Mali. Aspiring to unleash a powerful cycle of opportunity through the availability of clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene awareness, the project helps communities by providing financial and entrepreneurial training as well as microloans to support small businesses and ultimately drive economic growth.
On a more local level, Sofidel places strategic importance on sustainability for growth and development, with the objective of reducing its environmental impact to a minimum whilst maximising social benefits. A best practice example of this is Sofidel’s Intertissue Baglan United Kingdom mill, where a system for recovering rainwater has been activated, employing an area of 82,000 m2 and permitting a reduction in water consumption of more than 47,000 m3 per year. As a whole, this commitment has led Sofidel to achieve significant results, with an average use of water per kilogram of paper produced being decidedly lower than that considered good practice for the sector (7.0 l/kg vs.15–25 l/kg).
“Sofidel is aware of how precious a resource water is, both for natural balance and human well-being and hygiene,” commented Luigi Lazzareschi, CEO of the Sofidel Group. “This is why we are committed to using it responsibly in all our production sites and work on various levels to raise awareness among our stakeholders. Our partnership with WaterAid takes this commitment one step further and demonstrates how businesses and NGOs can bring expertise and resources together to contribute to achieving a healthier, more sustainable world.”
Lisa Greenlee, Strategic Partnerships Director at WaterAid, said: “We believe that access to clean water, decent sanitation and good hygiene are basic human rights. Access to these three basic essentials can help ensure better health, education and livelihoods. Yet 2.3 billion people – 1 in 3 – do not have access to a decent toilet and 844 million people – 1 in 9 – do not have access to clean water.
“Businesses have an important role to play in helping ensure everyone everywhere has access to these vital facilities and at WaterAid, we are delighted to be partnering with Sofidel to help communities in Mali have access to clean water, decent sanitation and good hygiene and help local communities build small businesses which will help themselves out of poverty.”
To find out more about Sofidel’s commitment to sustainability, visit http://www.sofidel.com/en/sustainability and to read more about the business case for investing in water, sanitation and hygiene visit https://washmatters.wateraid.org/publications/the-business-case-for-action-on-wash.
The Sofidel Group
The Sofidel Group is one of the leading manufacturer of paper for hygienic and domestic use worldwide. Established in 1966, the Group has subsidiaries in 13 countries – Italy, Spain, the UK, France, Belgium, Germany, Sweden, Poland, Hungary, Greece, Romania, Turkey and the USA - with more than 6,000 employees, net sales of 1,724 million Euros (2017) and a production capacity of over one million tonnes per year (1,098,000 tonnes in 2017). “Regina”, its most well-known brand, is present on almost all the reference markets. Other brands include: Softis, Le Trèfle, Sopalin, Nouvelle, Thirst Pockets, KittenSoft, Nalys, Cosynel, Yumy, Soft & Easy, Volare, Onda, Lycke, Forest, Nicky, Papernet. A member of UN Global Compact and the international WWF Climate Savers programme, the Sofidel Group considers sustainability a strategic factor with regards to growth and is committed to promoting socially and environmentally responsible development.
WaterAid
WaterAid is working to make clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene normal for everyone, everywhere within a generation. The international not-for-profit organisation works in 34 countries to change the lives of the poorest and most marginalised people. Since 1981, WaterAid has reached 25.8 million people with clean water and 25.1 million people with decent toilets. For more information, visit www.wateraid.org, follow @WaterAidUK or @WaterAidPress on Twitter, or find WaterAid UK on Facebook at www.facebook.com/wateraid.