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Our designers play a key role in promoting sustainability in stoneware manufacturing. We minimize the environmental impact of our products by considering form, ergonomics, aesthetics, and durability, while optimizing the use of resources like clay, glaze, energy, and water. All products are made to be ecofriendly, reusable, and recyclable, with minimal waste during production.
Our packaging is 100% plastic-free and recyclable, using only non-hazardous dyes. To reduce waste, we developed Ecocard, made from crushed internal cardboard waste, used in 15% of our boxes. Our boxes are FSC certified (75% recycled cardboard), sealed with recycled paper tape, and designed to be reusable.
We are committed to high ethical standards across all operations, ensuring full compliance with EU regulations. Regular audits, conducted by both official regulators and independent auditors, verify these standards. We also ensure that all employees receive fair wages above the required minimum.
At Grestel, we are committed to making stoneware more sustainable. To achieve this, we partnered with the University of Aveiro (Portugal) to develop a new raw material by collecting, recycling, and reusing clays and glazes from our own operations, as well as other nearby industrial waste. The result is Ecogres®, a reinvented clay crafted entirely from recycled materials.
We prioritize energy efficiency by harnessing 1180 kW of solar power, enabling our newest factory to run entirely on self-generated energy during daylight. The remaining factories operate with a combination of solar and other renewable sources. Our kilns are 15% more efficient than even the most energyefficient kilns on the market, thanks to our innovative closed-circuit system that reuses heat. Additionally, our single firing process further minimizes energy consumption and CO2 emissions, and we are leading the way in Europe by testing hydrogen-powered firing at an industrial scale for utility ceramics.
The waste we generate is mindfully managed. 99% of our waste is either recycled or reused within our production process. We transform excess materials into new products and recycle waste from our factories back into new stoneware. With Ecogres®, we created a new material made from recycled clays and glazes, as well as waste materials from nearby industries.
In addition to our reducing consumption practices, 100% of our water is carefully treated and reused for internal cleaning
processes or reintroduced in our production process.
Each one of our factories is equipped with an industrial waste water treatment plant, complying with EU standards. We recycle all of our factory’s excess clay into brand new dinnerware, therefore limiting transport emissions.
