ALEA AND THE RESPECT OF THE ENVIRONMENT
ALEA has always focused its efforts on developing ecologically friendly products and activities while maintaining a high level of customer satisfaction. We believe that a sustainable business can work for the environment, the consumer and the employee. Nowadays the consumer is increasingly aware of the importance of preserving our natural heritage and is increasingly willing to take an active role in protecting the environment. More than ever the industrial sector is obliged to devise new strategies that encourage and develop environmentally friendly production. All man made objects have a positive and negative impact on the environment. It is up to us to extenuate the positive and minimise the negative. ALEA has been researching innovative technologies that allow production with a low impact on the environment. In this way it has managed to create products that are dematerialised (reducing the quantity of materials and energy used to a minimum),

recyclable (facilitating the reutilisation of discarded materials) and long-lasting (reducing the production of waste). ALEA is constantly striving to improve production processes from both an economic and ecologic point of view. Simultaneously achieving growth and the conservation of our natural heritage. Using secondary materials involves substantial energy savings when compared with primary production.

ECOPACK
ALEA products are packed using cardboard only, without including polystyrene foam in the packs. A specific and innovative packaging line machine folds up the cardboard, prepares the protection sides and pack authomatically all the items. In this way the package can be easily recycled being made of a single, natural and not pollutiong material. That is why all ALEA packs are signed with ECOPACK logo, to emphasize this initiative that reduces the impact on the environment.

GREEN CERTIFICATES
The achievement of UNI EN ISO 14001 Certificate has successfully sealed the efforts Alea made to support the Environment with tangible initiatives, such as the research for ecological packing materials and the systematic use of recyclable materials.
As a consequence of these ‘green’ attitudes, Zefiro collection meets the U.S. Green Building Council LEED® requirements.

MATERIALS

ALUMINIUM
With ‘Eco’ and Sustainability issues at the top of the global ’green issues’ agenda, the office furniture industry is now more than ever under close scrutiny. The aluminium Industry is making a positive and proven contribution and global recycling rates are high, up to 90% for construction and transport applications against 60% for beverage cans.
The fact that 100% of aluminium can be

recycled at the end of its design life creates an aluminium bank for re-use in the future and 5% of the original energy required from primary extraction is required at re-smelting. Aluminium can be recycled over and over without loss of properties, ensures that the high value of aluminium scrap remains a strong incentive and financial impetus for recycling. This can only benefit future generations by conserving energy and saving up to 95% of the energy required for primary production, therefore avoiding corresponding emissions, which include greenhouse gases. Therefore, as well established valuable cradle-to-cradle material, aluminium really does offer the solution to today’s serious sustainability concerns. Architects have been aware of Aluminium’s unique qualities for over a century. Aluminium being one of the most globally abundant metals available, its formability, high strength-to-weight ratio, corrosion esistance and ease of recycling make it the ideal material for a variety of applications. The main uses of aluminium

are evident in the construction of windows, doors, curtain walling and facades. These can be seen across many types of building from a local high street glazed shopfront to the superstructure of a stadium or flagship shopping development.
We are proud to say that Zefiro is one of the very few aluminium based systems in the office furniture industry.

PARTICLE BOARD PANELS
All the particle board panels belong to class E1 regarding the emission of formaldehyde. Therefore our furniture meets and exceeds the strict requirements of standard on formaldehyde emissions.

SOLID WOOD
The wood used has a natural origin, and does not alter the environment. Solid wood is a renewable raw material which does not damage the ecosystem, provided it is rationally collected. None of the veneers used by ALEA are mentioned in the CITES lists (CITES: Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild

Fauna and Flora: is an international agreement between Governments. Its aim is to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival). Furthermore, an ever increasing number of the wood raw materials used by ALEA are "ECOLOGICAL PANEL" and "PROGETTO ECOQUALITA" (eco-quality project) certified. Both organizations check the origins of the wood materials and make sure they come from forests and plantations that are managed in accordance with the Forest safeguard criteria. Literally the Ecological Panel is a recycled wood panel used in the manufacture of furniture. It is environmentally friendly and helps to save the environment, because it doesn't require tree felling.

FABRIC ALEA
fabrics are recyclable ALEA has always demonstrated its concern for indoor health and security. We constantly monitor and improve our production methods, the management of materials .