Environmental profile
Ballarini has invested in research for many years in order to improve the technical and environmental qualities of its products. Reducing pollution and improving performance: this is the challenge facing the company in a marketplace increasingly attentive to health and wellbeing.
2004: UNI EN ISO 14001:2004 environmental certification - a commitment, on the part of Ballarini, to containing and improving the impact of its production activities and products on the surrounding environment (soil, air, water) over time.
The body that verified and certified the compliance of our activities with the above norms is the Norwegian DNV, one of the most prestigious and well-known international institutions.
Ballarini reiterates the concepts outlined in the environmental certification, creating its own “Ballarini per l’ambiente” (“Ballarini for the environment”) label to highlight its direct commitment to sustainability, which seeks to involve all of the stakeholders that interact with the company.
2005: Thermopoint design patent – the result of Ballarini research, this invention is extremely useful in the kitchen, guaranteeing quality, safety and energy savings.
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2008: First completely eco sustainable collection – Ballarini’s ‘Made in Italy’ technology andquality plays a key role in the creation of this eco collection, above all because it is certified.
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2008 Cucinando s’impara – launch of the ‘Cucinando s’impara’ (“Learn while cooking”) children’s food culture project designed to promote the themes of healthy diets and environmental eco-sustainability. Developed in association with ANDID (Italian Dieticians’ Association), it is the only association that dialogues with the Ministry of Health and which is authorised to represent Italian dieticians at European level (EFAD). The “Learn while cooking” project, developed with the scientific contribution of ANDID, underlines Ballarini’s desire to adopt projects of this scope, entrusting medical/scientific issues to a qualified body with the expertise to indicate the issues, methods and correct form of communication.
Further information can be found at cucinandosimpara.it
2008: Children’s workshop - since 2008 Ballarini has been active across Italy promoting healthy diets and environmental eco-sustainability through educational workshops held at:
- nursery schools;
- primary schools;
- cooking schools, where “family labs” are also held to involve parents;
- educational farms;
- festivaletteratura Mantova;
- wedding list stores;
- shopping centres;
- trade fairs.
2009: Environmental rights – the right to live in a protected environment and a community that safeguards it should be part of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This is the aim of non-profit organisation Rock Inside, whose first conference on 5 September 2009 at the Teatro Bibiena in Mantua was graced by two Nobel peace prize winners: Lech Walesa and Betty Williams. Ballarini also spoke at the conference, underlining the company’s firm commitment in this area.
Further information can be found at rockinside.it
2009: Ecomondo Prize - leading Italian event in the sector and one of the most important in Europe. Ballarini was listed among the top 10 companies for energy efficiency: an award for the “made in Italy” green economy that Ecomondo, with the support of the President of the Republic, promoted with the aim of acknowledging those Italian companies that stand out for product excellence and the environmental correctness of its manufacturing process.
2009: Impatto Zero® - Ballarini embarked on a partnership with Impatto Zero®, the first Italian project to put the Kyoto protocol into practice, calculating and offsetting carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions with the creation of new forests.
Impatto Zero® is now an international point of reference in the eco-culture sector, a tangible method of showing that it is possible to construct a new economic model that combines profits, respect for the environment, and attention to social issues (CSR – Corporate Social Responsibility - project).
2009 – 2010 Milan Furniture Fair Fuori Salone – during the important Milan trade fair Ballarini sought to promote the ethical nature of its products at the most important ‘green concept’ spaces: La Fabbrica del Vapore (event endorsed by Milan City Council) and Sparkling! Ecologically correct.
2010: Environmental label – the ethical responsibility assumed by the company is expressed in an environmental label that accompanies its eco products. Ballarini declares and guarantees all of the values expressed by these products and a production process completed oriented at protecting man and the environment.
2010 ANDID National Conference – According to the ANDID Code of Ethics, Dieticians should be concerned with the wellbeing of the population, cooperating with institutions, scientific companies, industry and research institutes to organise and promote study projects and informative/educational activities. During the National Conference, as part of the Expo 2015 preparation project, a preview of the Ballarini environmental label was presented (event organised with the patronage of the Ministry of Health).
2011 Funding of first Italian higher education dietetics course on Food Sustainability – with the University of Florence Science Department and the Department of Public Health. The course offers the opportunity to develop the expertise needed to evaluate the impact of political, economic and social dynamics on the food system, and of diets on public health, the environment and social justice. At the end of the course participants will be able to carry out a critical analysis of public and private food policies and the extent to which they support/hinder food sustainability, to use this knowledge in their working environment, and to dialogue effectively with the stakeholders in the food chain.
2011 Funding of Healthy Eating Day (2 October 2011) – An initiative promoted by ANDID in 12 Italian cities designed to highlight how a varied and balanced diet - which respects people and the environment – and an active lifestyle represent a successful strategy for our wellbeing, our humour and the pleasure of good food. ANDID will be present in the cities with marquees in which dieticians will speak with the public, offering them personalised evaluations of their nutritional parameters. Cities involved in the initiative: Bari, Catania, Florence, Genoa, Milan, Modena, Naples, Padua, Perugia, Rome, Turin, Udine.
2012: launch of the Cucinando s’impara book – The competition launched by Ballarini together with ANDID, which has involved 5000 Italian schools, will lead to the publishing of the ‘Cucinando s’impara’ book. Ballarini therefore confirms its focus on the younger generations, putting them at the centre of both a commercial and ethical project based on healthy eating and respect for the environment.