Responsibility
Corporate Social Responsibility

Interfabrics maintains ISO 45001 certification as an Occupational Health and Safety Management System: ODS 3, 8

All employees have private personal accident insurance provided by Aquaclean, under a collective agreement with insurance companies, complementary to work insurance (outside work and working hours): ODS 3, 8, 17.

We have implemented the 5S’s methodology for the reduction of accidents by eliminating physical risk factors: SDG 3, 8

80% of the training budget is allocated to internal polyvalence, in order to improve employee flexibility and employability: SDGs 1, 4, 8.

We have a flexible schedule of one hour at the start and end of the split workday, for a better family reconciliation: SDG 5, 8, 10.

For single-parent families, we have doubled the hours of free disposal with respect to the labor agreement (from 10 to 20), as well as the age of the children concerned (from 12 years of age in the agreement, to 24 in our organization): SDG 8

Likewise, in the event of a new circumstance of single-parent workers with children or dependents (divorce or widowhood), there is a shift to choose for the first two months: ODS 8

We have Cardioprotected Spaces distributed throughout the plants and workers are periodically trained in basic life support: ODS 3.

There has been training and talks on sustainability and reduction of waste and spills, which has resulted in improvement proposals by workers and direct actions derived from them: SDG 11, 12,

The minimum salary for any job in the group is at least 15% higher than the minimum wage: SDGs 1, 8, 10.

An employee portal has been created where employees are informed of their performance and days of free time, vacations, absences, etc.

The amount of the prize for the best improvement idea has been increased by 50% (from 100 to 150 euros).

A whistleblower channel has been created through the corporate website, ensuring anonymity.

• People with disabilities have been incorporated through Special Employment Centers (AMIAB, Jera Avanza), in functions compatible with their physical or mental dysfunction: SDGs 1, 10, 17.
• Reduction of the gender gap, with women accounting for 32% of new hires in 2022 and 39% in 2023, thanks to the improvement and automation of processes that required more physical effort (SDG 5, 10).
• We renewed the agreement with the EPSA of Alcoy (belonging to the Polytechnic University of Valencia) for in-company internships for students of Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science and, especially, of the Textile Master: ODS 4, 8, 9.
• We continue to collaborate in the curricular program of the higher textile training cycle of the Jaime I Institute of Onteniente for dual training students, that is, to carry out the practical part in the company throughout the training: SDG 4, 8, 11.
• The agreement “Educational center-company for training practices in work centers” has been signed, in maintenance, systems and laboratory specialties, with the Pare Arques Institute of Cocentaina, the Padre Vitoria Institute of Alcoy and the Sant Roc school of Alcoy.
• Visit from La Malladeta High School in La Vila Joiosa in the dressmaking and curtains module, as well as from UPV Alcoy specializing in Industrial Design and Product Development.
• For the fourth consecutive year, we have maintained the 1+1 Project with the NGO Novaterra, carrying out solidarity actions with the most disadvantaged people. For each hour of volunteering in personal time outside of work, the company grants one hour of personal time: ODS 1, 3, 10, 17

All these social actions have had an impact on the other ten SDGs: 1, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 11, 15 and 17.

Finally, the ethical principles of the organization, good corporate governance and professional ethics are the pillars on which the Aquaclean Group’s activity is based. For this reason, they have been adopted:

• Code of conduct, focusing on equal opportunities, control of information and confidentiality, non-discrimination and anti-bribery policies, as well as establishing a multi-channel whistle-blowing system that ensures confidentiality and prohibits retaliation.
• Harassment protocol, in order to avoid behaviors not in line with our values, as well as an inclusive communication protocol: SDG 5.

These facts, aimed at achieving goal 16 of peace and justice, have allowed us to obtain the seal “Fent empresa, iguals en oportunitats” awarded by the Generalitat Valenciana to companies that go a step further in labor inclusion. In 2023 it was Pascual y Bernabeu that received this distinction, thus closing the loop of the companies that make up the Aquaclean Group, since in 2022 it was Interfabrics, Serpiscolor and Textiles Pascual and in 2021 Antecuir, renewing it this year (it is audited every two years).

• Expansion of photovoltaic solar energy generation capacity for self-consumption, exceeding for the first time the Gigawatt-hour produced (1,344,214 Kwh) in 2023; this means ceasing to emit 363 Tn of CO2-e (calculation based on self-consumption with the emission factor of the supplier without guarantee of origin).
• Start of the DECARTHERM Project with ITE (Instituto Tecnológico de la Energía) with the aim of implementing thermal storage solutions that allow energy savings and, therefore, advance in the decarbonization process.
• The maintenance of green areas, which includes 134 trees in the surroundings of the production plants of the Muro Industrial Park, adds up to an estimated absorption of more than 8Tn of CO2-e per year.
• Packaging and transportation suppliers are evaluated environmentally and socially, giving priority to the activities of those with the best indexes in these areas of sustainability.

These actions have resulted in an 8% decrease in our total emissions in scopes 1 and 2 (direct and indirect emissions controlled by the organization), despite having verticalized at the spinning level and, therefore, including in these scopes emissions that in previous years were external to the organization.

With regard to responsible water consumption, as well as its reuse and purification, the following actions have been carried out:

• We maintain intensive use of reclaimed water from the Font de la Pedra WWTP (Wastewater Treatment Plant) at the Antecuir Muro flocculation plant, accounting for half of the consumption of this precious natural resource in both 2022 and 2023 at this site.

This fact has been recognized in the Catalog of Good Environmental Practices of Spanish Companies 2023 published by the CEOE (see page 4).

• Start of GEDAI project with ITE (Instituto Tecnológico de la Energía) to deploy digital twins to improve production performance and optimize energy consumption of manufacturing processes with industrial water effluents.
• First results of the pilot plant for the treatment, filtering and purification of microplastics and fibers in the dyeing company, in alliance with the Instituto Tecnológico Textil AITEX.

Start-up of a water osmosis treatment plant for dyeing and processes requiring high regularity, which will mean fewer reoperations and, consequently, lower water and energy consumption.

However, innovation in certain processes and the implementation of different solutions have resulted in an increase in water use of 29% over the previous year, which should be reversed in the future once the improvements in new technical implementations have stabilized.

On the other hand, in 2023 we completed the start-up of the project to channel treated water also from the Els Algars WWTP -Cocentaina- for industrial use in the Pascual y Bernabeu SL and Antecuir-Cocentaina (former Textiflok) plants, as well as for other companies in the area with which we have allied. Scheduled for start-up in 2024, we anticipate that this will drastically reduce the consumption of drinking water, as has occurred at the Antecuir Muro plant.

In reference to waste management, we maintain the Zero Waste to Landfill certificate at Interfabrics by the TüV Rheinland audit in 2023. Thanks to this management, 99.8% of the waste from the parent plant has gone to reuse or recycling. And, although the rest of the production sites are in the process of certification, the calculations for the total of the plants show a figure of only 0.1% of the waste going to landfill (the “Zero Waste” seal is obtained with landfill destinations of less than 10% of the total weight of the waste). In 2022 this figure was 0.4%, already improved from the 4% from which we started in 2021.

The circular economy has been intensively promoted by including 404 tons of textile waste in the form of yarn remnants, weaving selvedges, fibers and remnants or metrajes back into the supply chain, 142% more than in 2022. As a result, industrial waste has been reduced by 54%.

Other waste that stand out for their quantities are the 136 tons of paper and cardboard (7% less than in 2022) or the more than 25 tons of plastic recycled in 2023 (38% less than the previous year, although this waste is recycled, especially after the separation of colors with respect to the transparent one, of much better recyclability).

Even industrial waste, which thanks to stringent segregation has been reduced by 54% compared to 2022, is destined for energy recovery. A total of 80 types of waste have been segregated for recycling or reuse by 2023.

All these actions have a clear impact on several of the more environmental SDGs, such as 6, 7, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 17.

The most important sustainability arguments are the following:

• With our verticalization in spinning processes, we are increasing the percentage in the collection of fabrics with solution-dyed yarns, which do not use water for coloring, since the color is incorporated dry in the same fiber production process. In 2023, 84% of the new developments will totally or partially use this type of yarn.
• Thanks to the Aquaclean technology of localized cleaning, only with water, of practically any type of stain, the carbon and water footprint is reduced in the life cycle of the product (during its use -scope 3) because it does not require domestic washing, saving in energy and water consumption in washing machine and dryer, as well as benefiting the environment by not requiring soaps or solvents for its elimination.
• With the guarantee of up to 5 years in cleaning with Aquaclean water, we promote a longer durability of the applied product and with it, a reduction of waste and responsible consumption.
• Our articles have a high durability, all of them surpassing the resistances required in the domestic market, more than half double it (more than 50,000 Martindale cycles).
• The vast majority of our products have timeless designs and textures, thus limiting their aesthetic obsolescence.
  The proportion of articles with recycled material is increasing, with an ever higher percentage of both pre- and post-consumer polyester and pre-consumer cotton, with GRS certificates: 70% of the new additions are made of recycled material.
• Following the launch of the successful Oneplanet collection at the end of 2022, with 100% recycled and recyclable items (polyester monocomponent), GRS certified, 34% of new launches in 2023 are single-material, thus facilitating the future recyclability and circularity of our products.

This has also been echoed by the CEOE in its Catalogue of Good Environmental Practices of Spanish Companies 2023 (see page 5).

Our articles comply with the strictest health and environmental impact standards, as evidenced by our Ökotex 100 class 1 certificate (allows its use for baby clothing), annex 6 (the most demanding in terms of chemical products), GRS (Global Recycling Standard), PCF Free (Fluorocarbon Free) or articles with Vegan seal.

We also implement IMO (International Maritime Organization, a special agency of the United Nations in charge of the safety and security of marine transport and the prevention of marine pollution caused by ships) certificates on articles intended for the marine sector, on demand or included in certain fabrics selected for this sector.

On the other hand, all cardboard packaging (tubes, boxes, sheets…) is made of recycled and recyclable material, totally or partially, as well as all advertising catalogs use recycled paper and certified material from sustainable forests (FSC). Similarly, the plastic film with which we protect our fabric rolls is made of 95% recycled material.

Finally, the point-of-sale materials (carousels, hangers and courtains) are designed to be easily disassembled and reused, and the advertising bags are made by reusing fabrics and remnants. The original sandwich holders included in the welcome pack for new employees are made from this same textile waste. A reusable aluminum bottle is also included, so that we can all limit the use of plastic bags and cups or aluminum foil.

In this case, the actions in product have had an impact on SDGs 3, 6, 9, 11, 12 and 15.