Environment and natural spaces

ODS Environment and natural spaces

The challenges of sustainability in the food industry

About us

Central Lechera Asturiana’s commitment

In line with its CSR strategy and Sustainability Policy, CAPSA aims to protect the environment and preserve the natural environment in which it operates.
To achieve this, the dairy firm works towards minimising environmental impact throughout its value chain: from farms to the new materials into which wastes will be transformed.

It therefore contributes to achieving many of the SDGs adopted by the United Nations, specifically:

Sustainable development goals

Public environmental commitments

Awards and certifications

  • 2004 and 2008. Impulse Award for Industrial Environmental Management, granted by the Institute of Economic Development of the Principality (IDEPA).
  • 2013. Green Diploma Award, granted by the Nalón local Energy Agency.
  • 2013. Award for best practice in Sustainable Mobility, awarded by the Club of Excellence in Sustainability and the Renault Foundation for sustainable mobility.
  • 2014. Honourable Mention for the best track record in the field of renewable energies, granted by ENERAGEN.
  • 2014. Gold Award from Semana Española for Sustainable Mobility, granted by the Principality’s Institute for Economic Development (IDEPA).
  • 2014. First Finalist for the best business initiative in Ecodesign in the R Ecoembes Awards.
  • 2016. Finalist in the 2016 Energy Competitiveness Trophies in the Agri-Food Sector..
  • 2019. Second prize in the European Business Awards for the Environment 2019/2020 in the process category.
  • 2020. Awarded in the European Waste Prevention Week 2019 Awards in the business category.
  • 2020. Premio Nacional de Energía en la categoría Mejor actuación en materia de eficiencia energética y/o movilidad sostenible.
  • 2020. 1ª empresa láctea en España en certificar todas las fábricas bajo el referencial «Residuo Cero».

Sustainable farming included in the CLAS Energy programme

Through Central Lechera Asturiana (SAT), the majority shareholder, CAPSA’s farmers have access to consulting and collaboration services for improving the environmental impact of their farms.

These services are aimed at reducing energy consumption and introducing renewable energy on farms (CLAS Energy programme), reducing fuels and CO2 emissions in milk collection routes by optimising them; as well as training and awareness programmes on agricultural best practices.

environmental impact on our farms.

For 2020, CAPSA has established the objective to ensure that the energy on its farms is 100% green energy, certified with renewable origin guarantees.

In 2019, 75% of the energy consumption on CAPSA’s farms was already from renewable sources.

Respect for resources and climate action

For CAPSA, the first step in environmental protection is to optimise resources. Consuming only what is necessary, CAPSA avoids wasting raw materials and resources, preventing pollution from the source.

Affordable and clean energy

In CAPSA’s factories:

Over the years, CAPSA has been working on multiple projects aimed at reducing and optimising water consumption, as well as returning it to the natural environment, in the best conditions, to reduce fuel and electricity consumption while incorporating renewable energy sources and reducing other environmental impacts in its manufacturing facilities.

CAPSA not only makes milk, it also cogenerates the electricity it needs for its consumption. CAPSA is self-sufficient, since it generates more than 99% of the energy it consumes.

Its strategy in energy efficiency is based on comprehensive energy consumption management, through monitoring and data analysis, which enables it to progress in its optimisation. Multiple projects have been carried out in this area over the years in auxiliary and productive processes, where CAPSA has developed various improvement projects.

On transport routes:

CAPSA also works to promote sustainable mobility in distributing its products with the aim of reducing the impact on the environment and greenhouse gas emissions derived from logistics. To achieve this, there are multiple actions in the field of mobility:

  • Implementing the TRANSPORT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM.
  • Agreements with customers to adapt order sizes to average lorry capacities.
  • Coordinated CRP supplies from manufacturers.
  • Incorporating suppliers with lighter lorries.
  • Incorporating LNG lorries.
  • Incorporating supertracks.

These actions contribute to reducing CAPSA’s carbon footprint on its product distribution route and are a step towards advancing its LEAN & GREEN commitment with AECOC in the fight against climate change.

Clean water and sewage

CAPSA also works with other resources to ensure that they remain in the supply chain as long as possible. It extends the circular economy to water resources to reduce consumption and ensure that water of the highest quality is returned to the environment.

The water consumption ratio has been reduced by 10% over the last 4 years..

  • 2018: 3.06 m³ water/tonne final product.
  • 2019: 2.85 m³ water/tonne final product.

The total m³ consumed in 2018 and 2019 was:

  • 2018: 2,694,475 m³ water.
  • 2019: 2,507,160 m³ water.

CAPSA’s objective is also to improve discharge quality, reduce chemical product consumption and reduce potential risks of uncontrolled discharge, thereby maximising the safety of the purification process. CAPSA managed to return water with the highest quality to the environment, having emitted only 22.6% of the pollution authorised in 2019 (expressed in kg COD discharged/kg COD authorised).

Circular economy and zero waste

CAPSA’s main objective is to consume only what is essential, reduce waste generation at its source and when this is not possible, ensure that resources are recovered to remain in the economy for as long as possible.

This is CAPSA’s contribution towards promoting a circular economy model, moving ever closer to reaching its Zero Waste objective.

In CAPSA’s manufacturing facilities

Through awareness and teamwork, CAPSA has reduced waste generation by more than a quarter, integrating and transforming 95% of waste into new value-added resources. CAPSA thus adheres to its commitment signed with AECOC to fight against food waste.

In packaging

CAPSA works on the eco-design of its packaging to minimise environmental impact.

Also, the containers put on the market are recyclable, contributing to developing a circular economy.

Packaging eco-design and recyclability

CAPSA maintains a continuous improvement approach in its concern for the environment and philosophy for taking care of its products. That is why the environmental variable is considered from the packaging design stage, finding ways to minimise the impact in all phases of the life cycle, from the materials used, their transport and consumption and until the end of their useful life. CAPSA works to ensure that its packaging is transformed back into a raw material from which new products are manufactured in order to close the cycle, evolving towards a circular economy.

CAPSA consumes increasingly fewer materials

The first step to preserving the environment is to consume only what is essential. CAPSA works to achieve efficient packaging using the minimum amount of materials, water and energy without compromising functionality.

CAPSA chooses greener materials

When CAPSA designs and manufactures packaging, it considers the entire phase of its life cycle in order to minimise any environmental impact.

  • CAPSA’s cartons come from sustainable sources and are FSC certified.
  • Its cardboard packaging is made from recycled material.
  • Easily-recyclable plastics are used in CAPSA’s packaging, etc; for example, CAPSA’s milk bottles are 100% recyclable pursuant to the UNE standard.

And when food safety allows, recycled materials, such as CAPSA’s new grouping films with 50% recycled plastics, are also incorporated.

CAPSA introduces recyclable packaging to the market

So that a circular economy focused on 0 waste is possible, CAPSA’s packaging is designed with materials that enable maximum recyclability at the end of their useful life, so that they become new materials.
In this sense, CAPSA uses recyclable materials that are compatible with existing recycling processes to make its packaging. To achieve this, it takes material selection, the type of adhesives and inks used and the different characteristics of the package design into account to ensure recyclability so that the materials used have a second life.

  • CAPSA’s plastic containers are used to manufacture: floors, trays, seedbeds, cages, nets, broom and mop base, buckets, sanitary lids, rubbish containers and bins, irrigation pipes, wheel arches, ice scrapers, life jackets, plant pots, formwork, bottles, boxes, bags, etc.
  • CAPSA’s paper and cardboard containers are used to manufacture: boxes, bags, folders, etc.
  • CAPSA’s glass containers are used to manufacture: jars, bottles, road and ground coverings, etc.

Consumption and citizen contribution

However, in this circular economy process, your contribution is as important as ours.

When you consume the product, separate to recycle the containers. Recycling has important benefits for CAPSA and for the environment.

  • Yellow container: Packaging waste: plastic containers, cans and cartons.
  • Blue container: Paper and cardboard waste.
  • Green container: Glass waste.

Recycle

To help you in this mission, the corresponding logo appears on each container type. You can also check the appropriate container in CAPSA’s product specifications.

And now, if you also like to have control of what you have recycled, we invite you to download the ReciclaYa app..

Environmental innovation

Development of an environmental innovation programme aimed at boosting the circular economy and mitigating climate change.

Agro-industrial environment

In addition to taking a shareholding in the technology company ENTOMO AGRO-INDUSTRIAL, whose objective is to develop the use of insects as bioconverters, CAPSA FOOD is developing a technological and industrial project together with Entomo that is unique in the Spanish dairy sector, which will enable it to transform organic waste into products with high added value.

Biogastur project

The objective of the Biogastur Project is to provide a solution to the problem of soil and water contamination from livestock slurry; transforming it into renewable-origin electricity and fertiliser for the soil.

Energy no waste

A circular economy project in the field of energy, recovering the energy that dissipates into the atmosphere as a new source of energy in other processes; thus decreasing fossil fuel consumption. This project begins at CAPSA’s manufacturing facility in Granda.

Life Siamec

The purpose of this project is to validate a new technology on a demonstrative scale that is based on anaerobic digestion of industrial and urban wastewater at room temperature. This system has been proposed to obtain bioenergy and reusable water in a sustainable way by treating wastewater at room temperature and with a low operating cost.

CAPSA FOOD has collaborated on the design of a prototype to purify the waste water generated in the Outeiro de Rei factory through a process using SIAM technology (Integrated Anaerobic Membranes System), obtaining quality effluent which, through a subsequent tertiary treatment, enables its reuse as rinsing, irrigation, etc. water, thus contributing the company’s experience and knowledge in classifying and treating wastewater from the dairy industry.

Ecolac

The project aims to prevent and reduce the environmental impact associated with manufacturing dairy products, promoting food eco-design by designing and using software adapted to the unique aspects of the sector.

A software tool has been developed that makes it easier for dairy industries to design products with less environmental impact; in other words, to ECO-DESIGN products. Consumers’ purchasing motivations have also been identified in order to generate ‘sustainability claims’ and an in-depth study has been carried out on their behaviour towards eco-designed products.

Partnerships to achieve the SDGs

Alliance with Nortpalet

CAPSA has signed an agreement with Asturias company Nortpalet to make plastic pallets from recycled waste. The waste generated in the production of 100% recyclable plastic bottles is thus transformed into long-life pallets, which are used to move products to points of sale. In the future, they can also be reused by transforming them into new plastic pallets with the same properties as the original ones.

These pallets are returned to CAPSA’s Granda factory, without going through an intermediate centre, which entails additional savings in fuel and associated CO2 emissions. CAPSA is therefore helping to avoid waste and mitigate climate change.

Alliance with Naturgy and Transportes Sandoval for the construction of a fuel station

Naturgy and Transportes Sandoval have signed an agreement, also supported by CAPSA, for the construction and commissioning of a public fuel station that will facilitate the transformation of the Central Lechera Asturiana fleet.

The construction of this fuel station makes the transport sector in the principality more competitive and this private initiative will provide service where there is a lack of LNG infrastructures on the Cantabrian Corridor, since the A-8 motorway is not included in European transport development projects.

CAPSA’s objective is to promote the use of natural gas as the best sustainable alternative to fossil fuels derived from oil.

Participation in the European Waste Prevention Week

This year, CAPSA FOOD once again participated in European Waste Prevention Week, whose main objective is to raise awareness and educate society to reduce waste generation.

CAPSA’s initiative is based on the “Rethink” awareness and collaboration project, which has been selected from among 16,500 European actions in the field of environmental awareness and education.

The group communicated its achievements to its workers through announcements on the employee portal, information screens, roll-up banners at factory entrances, among other initiatives. Its aim was also to involve employees as well as their families, giving them a fridge magnet to promote recycling, as well as participation in an information day at COGERSA for employees who work in Asturias.

Participation in the European Waste Prevention Week