Sustainability for Eco-Responsible Growth

When individuals, companies, and institutions discuss sustainability, numerous topics and interests intermingle. At Grupo Torrent, we understand sustainable development as the process through which we meet the economic, social, cultural diversity, and environmental needs of the current generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

This definition encompasses everything. From the small acts of recycling we perform at home daily to the production processes of companies or the political actions that generate the laws governing us—it is truly a lifestyle in its fullest extent.

Sustainable Development Goals of Grupo Torrent

Grupo Torrent and the Creation of a Culture of Sustainability

At Grupo Torrent, we clearly see sustainability as the pursuit of a balance between economic, social, and environmental care. This commitment applies not only at the corporate level but also personally, extending to our families. We have a distinct responsibility in this area that affects us all, particularly in our business due to the types of products we develop, whether they are cork, aluminum, or plastic closures.

Given such a broad and elevated concept, we use understandable language to ensure the entire company can easily grasp the need to implement sustainability comprehensively, making it a part of our corporate culture.

Eco-Responsibility Strategy

At Grupo Torrent, we have a mission: To be Eco-Responsible.

Sustainability is embedded within our company mission and is not just a mere statement of principles but is activated practically through a program we call “Eco-Responsibility.”

Given the breadth of the concept and to foster continual and comprehensive change, the program is structured across various work areas and initiatives. These range from product design, logistics, and the sourcing and certification of our raw materials to the energy we use and the health of our employees. Notable among these are product design, logistics, sourcing, material certification, energy use, and employee health.

Under our Eco-Responsibility strategy, we have already realized many actions but continue to work on new projects that we implement daily. These encompass everything from product design, logistics, raw material sourcing and certification, energy use, and employee health, completing our sustainability strategy.

Eco-Responsible Initiatives of Grupo Torrent:

EcoDesign

Torrent Innova, our company dedicated exclusively to R&D activities, is committed to developing sustainable closure solutions as an ongoing challenge. We elevate our clients’ requests to the highest level by launching new user experiences that make bottling easier and make the product stand out in the market. This also adds significant value for the end consumer.

To achieve this, design and aesthetics are essential in the technological development of closures. Thanks to the necessary technical knowledge and the application of the latest technologies, such as additive manufacturing or finite element simulation, we can introduce unique closure solutions to the market.

At Grupo Torrent, we operate under the premise of EcoDesign with the goal of enhancing the development and production of our closures. To this end, we have implemented the following actions:

Lightweighting of parts and components
Use of single-material solutions
Use of bio-based materials
Use of recycled materials (recycled aluminum, recycled cardboard, etc.)
Process improvements for energy efficiency
Logistic optimization
End of life considerations

In the Terra Range, we have eliminated glues and adhesives in component assembly, which performs identically to glued corks. The design is initially more complex, but the long-term benefits for the packaged product and the environment are much greater.

We have also introduced the Green Valve, a single-material valve with just one component, which achieves a 10.05% reduction in CO2 emissions.

EcoProcesses

We are making numerous positive changes in our process lines and are continuously progressing in their improvement. We incorporate new technologies to significantly reduce consumption and minimize environmental impact.

At Grupo Torrent, this year we have implemented the CO2-Tool, which allows us to calculate the CO2 footprint of our products and their manufacturing processes and make comparisons in the development of new plans. This tool helps us choose options that have the least impact on CO2 emissions and encourages us to select more sustainable options based on data. With this tool, we have developed products and processes that achieve up to a 40% reduction in their carbon footprint.

We are continually improving the sustainable efficiency of the packaging we use to send our closures to clients. In this regard, we have optimized the weight and size of the cardboard boxes in which our closures are distributed, reduced the use of pallet wrapping film, and practiced reusing them.

We develop specific logistics circuits for the use of returnable packaging in delivering goods to clients, as circumstances allow.

We have incorporated new high-energy-efficiency injection molding machines for producing our closure components.

At Grupo Torrent, we have fully implemented the installation of solar panels at all our production plants in Spain (Jerez de la Frontera and El Puerto de Santa María) and internationally, achieving a substantial reduction in our CO2 emissions.

Approximately 45% of the total energy consumed by Grupo Torrent comes from renewable sources, with the goal of reaching 100% by 2025.

We operate more productive, efficient, and sustainable plants. We have expanded our production capacity and installed new assembly lines for new product developments. Additionally, we have an auxiliary warehouse that allows us to optimize the entire group’s logistical process, saving intermediate transport and thus reducing our CO2 footprint.

The Operation Clean Sweep (OCS) certification, a global industry initiative to reduce the loss of pellets, is also a reality in our group of companies.

EcoHealth

We consider the health of our professionals. To this end, we are taking actions that enhance the quality of their professional life, incorporating cutting-edge technology. We have an agreement with Sanitas that provides medical coverage to our employees at reduced prices.

EcoCollaboration

We collaborate with various associations and entities to exchange knowledge and experiences. Always with the goal of improving the sustainability, recyclability, and fraud prevention of the products that require our closures.

At Grupo Torrent, as one of our priority objectives, we work on the development of new sustainable materials that enable the creation of new products that have the least impact on the environment. To this end, we engage in collaborations with suppliers, technology centers, and universities.

The result of these collaborations has been the development of BIOCORK, a new bio-based material, with the addition of cork waste from our microgranulation process, which we incorporate in various percentages. This material allows us to create a range of natural colors without the need for adding pigments, providing an absolutely natural appearance and texture. The use of this new material significantly reduces the carbon footprint compared to conventional polymers.

Along with our suppliers, we continue to work on the development of bio-based and recycled materials (recycled aluminum, recycled cardboard, etc.). Additionally, we have planned for this year the development of bio-based inks, varnishes, and pigments, 100% free of BPA, PFAS, PVC, and other substances.

EcoEducation

We understand that to become a truly eco-responsible company, we must not only implement technological and structural changes but also continuously educate ourselves as a company. This involves engaging our entire environment, both inside and outside our company.