Corporate Sustainability Actions: Renewable Energy at Pontarolo Engineering
“How much can a manufacturing company reduce its environmental impact through renewable energy?”
At Pontarolo Engineering, we wanted to provide a concrete answer to this question—one measurable in numbers and tangible results. In 2023, we achieved a significant milestone: 65% of the energy consumed in our EPS (expanded polystyrene) production plant for the construction sector now comes from renewable sources. An even higher result (68%) was reached at Sintesyplast, a company within our group specializing in recycled plastic products for the construction industry.
Choosing to invest in clean energy is not just about cost reduction or compliance with increasingly strict regulations. It’s a strategic vision that combines industrial innovation and environmental responsibility. Our products—from EPS to recycled plastic—are in fact designed to actively contribute to emission reduction throughout their lifecycle. Consider, for example, our insulating panels, which drastically cut emissions from home heating and cooling.
Our Green Challenge: Goals and Vision
We see sustainability as a continuous improvement process, where every technological and organizational advancement must translate into measurable environmental benefits.
Our philosophy rests on three fundamental pillars:
- Energy Efficiency: Optimizing consumption without compromising productivity
- Self-consumption: progressively increase on-site energy generation
- Circularity: Ensuring our products help reduce our clients’ environmental impact
“For us, sustainability is not an option—it’s an essential requirement in how we do business,” says Valerio Pontarolo, Legal Representative. “Every decision is evaluated based on its environmental impact. Only by integrating these criteria into our daily choices we can truly make a difference.”
Circular Economy: Our Commitment to EPS Recycling
As a company registered in the waste recovery registry, in Pontarolo Engineering we give a second life to EPS, transforming waste polystyrene into a valuable resource.
Our recycling process enables us to:
- Recover and regenerate post-consumer EPS
- Significantly reduce material waste
- Reintroduce high-quality recycled raw materials into production
Recycling EPS is not just an environmental duty—it’s an industrial opportunity,” explains Marco Selva, HSE (Health, Safety, Environment) Manager. “Every ton of EPS we recover means less material in landfills and less need to produce new virgin plastic.
Solutions Implemented: An Integrated Approach
Our path toward a higher energy self-sufficiency relies on a combination of complementary technologies and strategies:
Photovoltaic Plant
The core of our system is our 200 kW photovoltaic plant, already operational, which covers a significant portion of our energy needs. By 2025, we plan to expand it by an additional 130 kW, bringing us even closer to our energy autonomy goal.
Guarantee of Origin (GO) Certificates
For the energy we still draw from the grid, we use Guarantee of Origin (GO)-certified energy, ensuring full traceability of its renewable sources.
“Many companies claim to use green energy, but without certifications, these claims are hard to verify,” emphasizes Luca Pontarolo, Company manager. “We chose to be 100% transparent because credibility is everything.”
Looking Ahead: Next Goals
2023 was just one step in our journey toward greater sustainability. Here’s what’s coming in the next few years:
- Completion of the photovoltaic expansion (+130 kW)
- New R&D investments in even more eco-friendly products
- Increase post-consumer EPS recycling capacity
“The energy transition is not a destination—it’s an ongoing journey,” concludes Luca Pontarolo. “The results so far encourage us, but we know there’s still much work to be done. Our ambition is to become a benchmark for sustainable manufacturing in Italy.”
This is only the beginning of a journey that will see us playing an increasingly leading role in the green transition of our industries. Because we believe true sustainability is built on daily choices, bold investments, and—above all—measurable results.
