Environment

Constant committment to reduce environmental impacts

As a service company our environmental footprint is marginal compared to that of manufacturing companies. However, well aware of the fact that sustainable economic development is possible only if the environment is preserved, we have implemented a series of initiatives designed to protect it.

We have adopted a “Code of Conduct for a Sustainable Office” which represents a self-regulatory tool adopted to:

• raise the employees’ awareness about the environmental impact that their daily actions have and provide common sense rules;
• define, by using specific policies, rules that limit the direct impact on environment;
• anticipate compliance with some of the obligations introduced by the EU.

The Code we adopted contains both a Recycling Policy and a “Handbook for environmental protection” which focuses on:

• the efficient use of natural resources;
• the correct use of company equipment;
• the introduction of green corporate mobility practices.

 

Equita supports FAI - Fondo Ambiente Italiano

Since 2020, Equita has adhered to the Corporate Golden Donor membership of FAI – Fondo Ambiente Italiano (the Italian association to protect environment).

Alongside FAI, Equita wants to actively promote an ambitious cultural challenge: to make Italy a more beautiful place to live, work and raise our children in.

The Italian landscape and cultural heritage, which FAI seeks to safeguard and promote, is unique and it is a fundamental resource to invest in, with a view to helping our wonderful country to grow, develop and flourish. Thanks to the support of its numerous members, both private and corporate, FAI today safeguards and manages a total of 67 assets all over Italy: important historical, artistic and landscape sites that have been saved from neglect, restored, protected and opened to the public.

Every day, FAI endeavours to protect and guarantee wide access to splendid examples of art, nature and culture spread all over the countryside, cities and coasts of Italy, educating visitors and raising public awareness of the importance of learning about, respecting and taking care of art and nature, as well as taking on board and representing the requests from the community, monitoring and actively intervening locally.

To know more about the initiatives and the membership, visit the FAI website.

 

Initiatives for the environment

Over the years we have implemented a series of initiatives to achieve the following objectives.

 

Abolish the use of plastic

Equita:

• installed purified water dispensers that can be used to fill the personalized water bottles distributed to all employees and staff members;
• substituted the plastic bottles found in meeting rooms with glass ones;
• substituted the plastic cups used in hot drink dispensers with paper ones and the stirrers with biodegradable plastic ones;
• began using exclusively biodegradable coffee pods.

 

Reduce the use of paper

We started:

• using only ECF (Elemental Chlorine Free) paper;
• using recycled paper to print internal documents;
• using electronic means to communicate rather than paper;
• using the duplex printing mode only.

We also:

• installed printers with PIN codes. This initiative made it possible to significantly reduce the number of printouts (above all, incorrect or superfluous copies) and sensitise employees to the responsible use of paper;
• created a digital suite which the members of the Board of Directors of the Group’s companies and the various committees could access in order to consult documentation;
• made video projectors available in some meeting rooms in order to visualize, rather than print, documents.

 

Promotion of recycling behaviours

Equita has:

• made special, labelled waste containers available in designated areas for paper/plastic/compost/landfill;
• hung the manual, “Where do I throw it away?”, which shows where and how the main products used in the office should be disposed of, in the lunch room;
• hired a specialized firm to collect and dispose of toner, which is the only dangerous waste produced by the company.

 

Reduction in the consumption of electricty

Equita has:

• setup, for all company computers, the automatic shutdown of the monitor after 10 minutes of inactivity and the restarting with a simple movement of the mouse or keyboard;
• introduced LED lighting systems throughout the offices.

 

Reduction in CO2 emissions

Equita has:

• made two company bicycles available to all employees to be used for short trips;
• expanded the use of flexible benefits for transit passes.