Sustainability
Manifesto J·Vigas
DNA: INNOVATION + SUSTAINABILITY
Innovation, which has always been a key value for our company, now takes on a new face, putting it at the service of sustainability. We believe that today any organization must have sustainability as a central element of its strategy, at all levels. It is for this reason that innovation and sustainability go hand in hand at J·Vigas, guiding all the departments of the organization.
Sustainability
Manifesto J·Vigas
DNA: INNOVATION + SUSTAINABILITY
Innovation, which has always been a key value for our company, now takes on a new face, putting it at the service of sustainability. We believe that today any organization must have sustainability as a central element of its strategy, at all levels. It is for this reason that innovation and sustainability go hand in hand at J·Vigas, guiding all the departments of the organization.
Commitment
We reaffirm our environmental and social commitment, inside and outside the company.
Integrity
We have more than 130 years of history and we owe ourselves to our ancestors, who worked so hard to make J·Vigas what it is today, just as we owe ourselves to our human team and the clients who trust us.
Coherence
All the actions and strategies we carry out are aligned with our values.
Transparency
We share our reality and our goals. One of our missions is outreach, honestly inform our clients and provide them with tools so that they can make better decisions.
ISO 14001
J·VIGAS has obtained the international certification ISO 14001 of Environmental Management that certifies its commitment to the Environment and Sustainability
Carbon Footprint
“WHAT CANNOT BE MESURED CANNOT BE IMPROVED”
Peter Drucker
We believe that the only way to reduce our impact is to be in control of our supply chain and measure the environmental impact generated by each of our products.
To this end, we have developed a study together with the Catalan Cork Institute and ReMa Enginyeria to calculate the carbon footprint of our production process.
Striking figure using the most favorable data
If we only thought of headlines, and we wanted to stand out from the competition, we would use this figure, which is undoubtedly more attractive at a commercial level.
Starting point for our Sustainability Plan
Data obtained following international standards. Our commitment to sustainability is real, which is why we are not looking for the most spectacular figure, but rather the one that most closely matches reality.
HOW HAVE WE CALCULATED OUR CARBON FOOTPRINT?
In this article we explain it to you with total transparency:
THE BEST NATURAL RAW MATERIAL
We are currently experiencing the consequences of climate change and, at the same time, we are the only ones who can act to stop it. According to the Paris Agreement, it is necessary to establish measures that allow us to limit the rise in world temperature to 1.5ºC. For this reason, all our actions must be in constant evaluation and all our decisions must be aimed at creating the minimum environmental impact on the planet.
“Being sustainable means staying for a long time without depleting resources or damaging the environment. To think about the next generations, as my predecessors have done.”
Raül Vigas
To obtain the cork, the tree is not damaged, but its bark is extracted in a completely artisanal way. It is an ancestral technique, transmitted from generation to generation due to its complexity, since it requires great knowledge to know when is the precise moment to proceed with the extraction of the cork without damaging the cork oak and to obtain, on the one hand, a cork of quality and, on the other hand, not to compromise the next service that will take place after about 9-12 years.
Benefits of cork compared to other materials:
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100% local origin of the raw material
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Sustainable production process, requires little energy and few added materials
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100% natural material
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Preservation of the Iberian flora and fauna
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Local industry that offers jobs in fair conditions
Our raw material comes from a renewable source that at the same time helps to preserve the forests of southern Spain and Catalonia. In addition, all our suppliers must work in a sustainable way and must have signed an environmental commitment with us.
We constantly challenge ourselves to improve ourselves and continue to investigate processes to optimize our production, as well as detect and discard unwanted aromas in caps already produced, with the aim of guaranteeing the full use of the caps sent to our customers. The discarded plugs are destined for other uses, such as design and construction.
PACKAGING
In our commitment to sustainability in packaging, we are working with the best in the field using recycled materials. The entire process to manufacture our boxes is located in Girona, thanks to a local supplier that carries out the entire process, from recycling to the manufacture of cardboard boxes.
We have redesigned our packaging to reduce the impact of our shipments. Through the eco-design of the new boxes made from recycled paper, without dyeing, and with the logo in vegetable inks, we intend to reduce emissions and thus achieve a cleaner atmosphere.
We are investigating possible substitutes for plastic for storage bags, but it is complicated since the caps can be up to six months in the cellars and we must offer a total guarantee of food safety.
60% recycled cardboard
Our new boxes are made with 60% recycled cardboard and the rest comes from FSC certified forests. We have eliminated the plastic to close the boxes, replacing it with paper tape that, in addition to reducing the amount of plastic in the shipments, facilitates the subsequent recycling of the boxes.
Wooden boxes
We only use plastic in the case of the preservation of the stoppers once they arrive at the winery.
We have eliminated plastic in the shipment of samples, as well as in commercial presentations, where we present the caps in wooden boxes, locally produced.
Transport
Optimization of space in packaging (always the smallest packaging) and in transport (use of truck space when it is own transport).
WITH THIS OPTIMIZATION, TOGETHER WITH THE USE OF RECYCLED CARDBOARD, WE HAVE SUCCESSFULLY REDUCED OUR USE OF VIRGIN FIBER CARDBOARD FROM 13.6 TONS IN 2019 TO 4.16 IN 2020 (REDUCTION OF 69.70%).
Stationery
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, we planned to reduce the printing of brochures, presentations, and other promotional material, as well as invoices and delivery notes, giving priority to the online version of these documents.
The documents that we continue to print to deliver on exceptional occasions are printed on cotton, recycled paper, and/or from FSC certified forests, using 100% vegetable inks.
Other actions
At J·Vigas we have launched an ambitious Sustainability Plan, with actions in different areas of the organization.
Some actions have a greater impact than others, but we must not forget that EVERY ACTION COUNTS.
Other actions
At J·Vigas we have launched an ambitious Sustainability Plan, with actions in different areas of the organization.
Some actions have a greater impact than others, but we must not forget that EVERY ACTION COUNTS.
Materials of natural origin for the finishes
The Sustainability and Innovation team is investigating new materials of natural origin for the finishes on the caps.
Low consumption lighting
We have replaced fluorescent bulbs and tubes with LED bulbs that allow us an energy saving of 40%.
Organic cotton uniforms
The new uniforms are 100% organic cotton, which has a lower environmental impact than other textile materials, and at the same time is more pleasant and healthy for our workers.
Water source
The J·Vigas team has a water source at their disposal, in order to reduce single-use plastic bottles.
Coffee machine with no-cup option
The coffee machine available in the canteen offers freshly ground coffee and the option of using a glass tumbler to reduce single-use plastic cups.