Environment
We protect the natural environment
Sustainability
CAPSA FOOD
#PARTOFTHESOLUTION
CAPSA FOOD
#PARTOFTHESOLUTION
We drive circularity
We are striving to minimise our impact from farms to table, based on a circular economy model to keep products, materials and resources for as long as possible.
We are the first company in Spain to have a Circular Economy Strategy certified by AENOR.
We support sustainable livestock
At CAPSA FOOD, we develop our business to comply with our goal to provide a future for our livestock partners, by offering natural products and services that improve people’s health and quality of life in a sustainable environment.
Therefore, both our parent company Central Lechera Asturiana SAT and ourselves enter into strategic partnerships with other organisations to support the farmer and thus help to mitigate climate change and to protect biodiversity. We are involved in innovative projects to develop new technologies to measure impacts, regenerative agricultural practices, new more sustainable food, and transforming waste into high value products, bolstering the bioeconomy.
An example of this would be our partnerships and alliances with other organisations to:
Boost renewable energy. The CLAS SAT livestock farms signed up to the CLAS Energy programme use 100% electricity with guarantee of origin. There is also an agreement with EDP Solar to make its innovative photovoltaic solutions available to the family-run farms, in order to foster holistic sustainability and energy saving.
Calculating the environmental footprint of the livestock farms, analysing them and developing tools to reduce them and advancing in fighting climate change.
Encouraging farmers to be carbon sink managers.
Improving soil health.
Driving the circular economy to manage organic waste, converting it into biogas and into biofertilisers.
We develop eco-efficient factories
Our aim is to minimise the impact of our business on the environment, based on a circular economy model to keep products, materials and resources for as long as possible and protecting the environment.
Therefore, there have been multiple actions during recent years to reduce and optimise waste consumption, fuel consumption, the amount of electricity used, waste generation, and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in all our factories as well.
Water
Over the years, we have also worked on conserving water resources to lengthen their life cycle so that they are in the supply chain for the longest possible time; by reducing consumption and optimising the water treatment processes.
Fuel consumption
We have continued to progress in reducing fossil fuels in our factories, by developing projects aimed at energy efficiency and the circular economy.
Electricity
We consider process electrification as a tool that helps industrial decarbonisation provided the electricity comes from renewable sources.
Waste
Over 95% of our waste has a second life.
First dairy company in Spain with all our factories Zero Waste certified.
Carbon footprint
Since we certified our carbon footprint for the first time (scope 1 and 2) based on GHG Protocol in 2019, we have rolled out programmes to reduce greenhouse gases; year after year, our calculations show that the tnCO2e were cut by 41% in 2024 on the 2019 baseline year thanks to the many energy efficiency projects implemented:
- Optimising thermal energy processes
- Replacing equipment by new more efficient units
- Recovering resources and their associated energy consumption
- Processing electrification using energy from renewable sources.
- Implementing renewable energy
Since 2019, we have also registered the carbon footprint with the Spanish Climate Change Office and obtained the ‘Calculo’ [Calculate] seal for 2019, 2020 and 2021, and the ‘Calculo + Reduzco’ [Calculate + Reduce] seal in 2022.
On top of that – and while we continue progressing in the total decarbonisation of our processes – those emissions (GHG) that we could not reduce have been offset by backing decarbonisation projects that drive the use of renewable energy. Therefore, all our factories have been certified ‘Carbon Neutral’ by AENOR in direct emissions (scope 1 and 2).
For example, in recent years we have support wind power projects in China, one of the countries to which we export our products by means of purchasing carbon credits certified by recognised standards, by expanding our direct contribution to mitigating climate change.
We foster sustainable mobility
As regards sustainable mobility, we are working on improvements to reduce the emissions associated to transporting our products, by boosting:
- The use of less polluting fuels among our suppliers. In 2023, we already had 26 lorries running on liquefied natural gas on our transport routes and 3 LNG tankers on the milk collection routes.
- Setting up alliances and partnerships to optimise transport routes and share cargo flows in mega lorries making transport more efficient and eliminating empty mileage.
- The development of tools to calculate and monitor the carbon ffootprint associated to transport.
We share this commitment with our employees by fostering:
- Services to reduce journeys: bus route to the work centre, canteen and dining room at our centres, encouraging videoconferencing and remote working at office posts.
- The use of electric cars and bicycles with the installation of more electric charging points than required. Along with reaching a partnership agreement with the local council of our main factory to extend the bike lane to the facilities.
We ecodesign fit-for-purpose packaging
We are working to launch more sustainable packaging on the market that optimises the use of resources, reduces food waste and minimises its climate impact, but which above all guarantees food security.
We have therefore introduced more environmentally friendly materials and we ecodesign our containers to ensure that they are 100% recyclable.
Our milk bottle is 100% recyclable*, based on the criteria of the UNE-EN 13430:2005 standard. *Except aluminium top
Our milk cartons contain plant-sourced materials, which means that the plastic top is made out of sugarcane endorsed by the Bonsucro certificate, as an example of the commitment to social and environmental sustainability by using sugarcane.
We were one of the first companies to launch tethered tops on milk cartons, meaning that we were ahead of the new Waste Law to avoid the tops getting lost in the chain and thus facilitating their recycling.
100% of the cardboard of our cartons come from sustainable sources and is accredited by FSC, which means it comes from sustainable forests, managed to guarantee biodiversity, cost-effectiveness and the wellbeing of the local communities involved in their production and upkeep.
All our films for product bundling are made with at least 70% recycled plastic and 95% of the cardboard used for our packaging comes from recycled materials, meaning that recycled materials are always used when food safety so allows.
We have reduced the use of plastic in our packaging by replacing it with renewable materials, such as our new packs of cartons in cardboard boxes.
We have also calculated the carbon footprint of our bottle and carton packaging as per the GHG Protocol standard, including all their elements (primary, secondary and tertiary) with a ‘cradle to gate’ scope; we have implemented measures to reduce its impact by introducing more sustainable materials, such as plant-origin and recycled plastics.
Our packaging is also a means to raise consumer awareness.
- About fighting food waste
- Boosting recycling to ensure a second life
We back shared innovation
To advance in the decarbonisation of the value chain
ZERO EMISSIONS AGRIFOOD CONSORTIUM
GUARDIANS Horizon 2020 project
Innovative and technological solutions for the problems existing in small and medium-sized farms.
In conjunction with Carbon Harvesters, we developed a digital-technological tool whose aim is to monitor holdings of the primary sector to determine their emissions, propose mitigating strategies, and quantify and certify the reduction of those emissions.
LABACA project. Low carbon dairy products.
We are taking part in the ‘Low Carbon Dairy Products’ industrial research project, in conjunction with SERIDA, to research how to reduce enteric methane by means of new food additives based on microorganisms.
Clienfarms (Climate Neutral Farms) Horizon 2020 Project.
In conjunction with AGACAL, we developed and implemented solutions to achieve climate neutral farms in Europe.
LEME PROJECT. Indirect analysis of methane emissions.
By means of an agreement established with the LIGAL, we are part of the LEME project in order to seek to develop a technology to analyse methane emissions to be able to find the best solutions in the future.
In order to advance in the circular economy, by transforming our waste into products of greater value.
CERES (Circular Innovate Technologies for Transformation and Resilience for Agrifood Sector).
Continuity of the earlier Waste4Value project, involving developing biotechnological routes – at demonstrator scale – in conjunction with the ASINCAR technology centre in order to maximise the use of waste and dairy byproducts from the processing of milk (whey and permeate).
CAPSA BIOREFINERY.
Slurry treatment and obtaining advanced biofertilizers.
Milk4Agro.
This project, in conjunction with Entomo Agroindustrial and ITENE, resulted in an innovative integrated biorefinery model using insects and generating biofertilizers and advanced biostimulants. Furthermore, the implementation of this project has bolstered the company’s firm commitment to the principles of Zero Waste in all its facilities.
NARIA.
Digital platform that digitalises the food waste management and food donation systems, creating a digital ecosystem able to increase efficiency overall.
ZERO EMISSIONS AGRIFOOD CONSORTIUM
GUARDIANS Horizon 2020 project
Innovative and technological solutions for the problems existing in small and medium-sized farms.
In conjunction with Carbon Harvesters, we developed a digital-technological tool whose aim is to monitor holdings of the primary sector to determine their emissions, propose mitigating strategies, and quantify and certify the reduction of those emissions.
LABACA project. Low carbon dairy products.
We are taking part in the 'Low Carbon Dairy Products' industrial research project, in conjunction with SERIDA, to research how to reduce enteric methane by means of new food additives based on microorganisms.
Clienfarms (Climate Neutral Farms) Horizon 2020 Project.
In conjunction with AGACAL, we developed and implemented solutions to achieve climate neutral farms in Europe.
LEME PROJECT. Indirect analysis of methane emissions.
By means of an agreement established with the LIGAL, we are part of the LEME project in order to seek to develop a technology to analyse methane emissions to be able to find the best solutions in the future.
In order to advance in the circular economy, by transforming our waste into products of greater value.
CERES (Circular Innovate Technologies for Transformation and Resilience for Agrifood Sector).
Continuity of the earlier Waste4Value project, involving developing biotechnological routes – at demonstrator scale – in conjunction with the ASINCAR technology centre in order to maximise the use of waste and dairy byproducts from the processing of milk (whey and permeate).
CAPSA BIOREFINERY.
Slurry treatment and obtaining advanced biofertilizers.
Milk4Agro.
This project, in conjunction with Entomo Agroindustrial and ITENE, resulted in an innovative integrated biorefinery model using insects and generating biofertilizers and advanced biostimulants. Furthermore, the implementation of this project has bolstered the company's firm commitment to the principles of Zero Waste in all its facilities.
NARIA: Digital platform that digitalises the food waste management and food donation systems, creating a digital ecosystem able to increase efficiency overall.
We bolster our commitment
We drive sustainability throughout the value chain.
Global Compact (SDG)
Commitment to the United Nations principles to achieve the SDGs by 2030.
FORÉTICA.
Benchmark organisation in sustainability and corporate social responsibility.
PACT FOR A CIRCULAR ECONOMY
The pact signatories undertake to drive the transition towards a circular economy.
COMMUNITY FOR CLIMATE.
Initiative for society to act against Climate Change according to the Paris Agreement directives.
STEPBYWATER.
First Spanish alliance regarding the United Nations Decade for Action on Water for Sustainable Development.
MARCAS WASTE WARRIOR.
Alliance of committed companies to take a step further in the fight against food waste.
NO FOOD WASTE
Collaboration initiative to reduce food waste led by AECOC.
We take part in ‘Earth Hour’. Promoted by WWF for social awareness about the problem of climate change.
Leadership in dairy brands, quality and innovation Peñasanta food corporation.
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