6.8 THE GREEN FACTORY IN TUSCANY

An investment in the heart of the Tuscan tanning district in Santa Croce sull'Arno. A strategic choice in which digitalization, environmental sustainability, quality and productivity mutually evolve and perfect each other.

This is the Tuscan factory of Gruppo Mastrotto. A one-of-a-kind in the industry for the transformation of hides into tanned leathers.

The new plant has an area of about 13,000 square meters and is fully automated and monitored. Automation is not limited to the production phases as it also extends to all systems supporting the production function. For example, a single software manages water intake, treatment and storage.

To minimise energy consumption, only state-of-the-art machinery using low consumption technologies has been installed, including polypropylene drums. A photovoltaic system featuring double the productivity compared to the minimum required by law is installed at the plant.

The plant is, in essence, a Green Factory that self-produces 500 kW of electricity with photovoltaic modules.

Gruppo Mastrotto in S. Croce sull'Arno, in a nutshell, is:

• more than 65 years of work experience combined with the latest technologies

• attention to the safety of workers

• large production capacity (28 drums)

• optimization of the production phases for a lower use of chemicals

• 22% of the required energy deriving from photovoltaic panels

• leather handling automation

• automatic dosing of all liquid products directly into the drum

6.9