Nature Responsibility – Commitment to the environment

Nature
Responsibility –
Commitment
to the environment

Why we use Swiss wood – protecting the environment

In our eyes, Swiss wood is not only the best quality, but also the most sustainable raw material there is, thanks to the short transport routes. For this, we also go to some trouble: One third of the wood comes from elaborate steep slope felling. And that costs. However, in doing so, we tap into otherwise unused resources and make an active contribution to the reforestation and regeneration of Swiss forests.

Sustainable wood raw materials and concern for the environment shape our decisions. This is also demonstrated by our ISO 14001 certified environmental management system: we continuously optimise resource consumption. We plan and act in cycles – from prudent product planning and raw material procurement, efficient, environmentally compatible production processes and logistics solutions through to the recycling of materials used. Exactly what all this means for nature, we describe in the following.

Renewable raw material

The Swiss forest provides the naturally renewable raw material wood from which all our GRAND SELECTION floors are made. Because we attach great importance to the responsible use of wood, we obtain our wood exclusively from sustainable forestry and also process residual wood such as sawdust, slabs and chips that are no longer used in other areas of the wood industry.

Climate protection

Since 2010, we have had an energy management system to increase energy efficiency and reduce CO₂ emissions. Over 90 % of our thermal energy comes from renewable, climate-neutral sources. SWISS KRONO AG is also constantly investing in resource and energy-efficient measures.

Sustainability

The dictionary defines sustainability as a forestry principle according to which no more wood may be felled than can grow back at any one time. For us, this is more than a definition, it is our aspiration. That is why we invest in the reforestation of the forests where we cut our wood: For every tree felled, a new one is planted. In this way, we also support the local foresters and avoid monocultures.

CO₂-neutral production

Sustainable climate protection is key. It demonstrates that we are actively reducing CO₂ emissions and optimizing energy efficiency. Thanks to ongoing process optimizations, we already produce all our products CO₂-neutral today by using renewable thermal energy instead of fossil fuels. In this way, we have managed to reduce our CO₂ footprint to almost zero and to produce our entire range in a resource-friendly way.

Cascade use

At SWISS KRONO, wood has “several lives”, because we use the natural product several times in consistent cascade use and thus actively contribute to CO₂ reduction. Thanks to the latest technologies, raw materials are recycled as fully as possible and used optimally. In the very last step, the wood is then burned and thus serves as an energy supplier for production. Exactly these energy flows are repeated by us more often thanks to recycling.

Environmental protection

For our environment, we go one step further: As a company with ISO 14001 certification for environmental management, we continuously optimize our resource consumption to minimize our impact on the climate. For example, we keep raw material, water and energy consumption in production as low as possible and compensate for unavoidable evaporation losses by collecting rainwater to save fresh water.

Air Pollution Control

The Air Pollution Control Ordinance (LRV) is intended to protect humans, animals, plants, their biotic communities and habitats from harmful air pollution. On 1 January 2023, the emission limits applicable in Switzerland have been significantly tightened again. SWISS KRONO AG accordingly produces its GRAND SELECTION products under one of the world’s strictest emissions regulations.