Sustainable innovation drives growth of Chemical Forest Industries (ICF) 

Among the international reference operators in the design and production of high-tech adhesives and fabrics for footwear and leather goods, automotive and packaging, Industrie Chimiche Forestali has been strongly committed to sustainability values and ESG principles for over a century. The Group has, in fact, obtained the most important certifications of the chemical and corporate sector, and since 1997 it has joined the Responsible Care program, which promotes the Sustainable Development of the Chemical Industry at international level according to values and behaviors oriented to health, safety and the environment.

“In this direction, we have been working for years on the substitution of dangerous substances present in the formulation of our products and on the development of eco-friendly adhesives with low content of VOC (volatile organic compounds, ndr), Challenging time-tested working methods and technologies”.

This commitment is reflected in the continuous expansion of the range of products certified according to GRS (Global Recycle Standard), FSC (Forest Stewardship Council), BCI (Better Cotton Initiative), GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) and OK biobased standards.

In addition, in order to assess the environmental impacts generated by its products “in 2019 ICF carried out an LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) study on the production of four categories of fabrics, extruded and impregnated, in the leather and footwear sector” – says Marcello Taglietti.

In collaboration with the CNR and on the basis of its own LCA analysis, in 2022 ICF introduced within the Product Category Rule (PCR) “Fabrics” specific standards for the implementation of environmental studies on extruded and impregnated textiles, today active and used as a reference in the fashion sector. Thanks to this important contribution “in 2023 we obtained the EPD (Environmental Product Declaration) certification for our extruded and impregnated fabrics, establishing a world record within the footwear sector. This has enabled us to gain not only a competitive advantage, but also ecodesign support for the final product.’

More recently, ICF has achieved the important milestone of ISCC PLUS (International Sustainability & Carbon Certification), a globally recognised standard for the sustainability of bio-based, recycled and circular materials. The company has also adopted the Mass Balance model, an innovative approach that allows the gradual integration of sustainable materials into adhesive production processes, ensuring transparency and traceability throughout the entire supply chain, Reducing environmental impact without compromising product quality and performance.

In addition to these important certifications, it is worth mentioning that in 2023 ICF together with ACBC, BCorp and Circular Science Company A document that represents the company’s ethical commitment and mission to pursue responsible business practices and contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This coexists with the Sustainability Report, now in its sixth edition and drawn up on a voluntary basis according to the GRI Standards.

“In this period we are working intensively to further develop the range of water-based and solvent-free adhesives, which in recent years have been increasingly appreciated, especially by luxury brands, compared to more traditional solvent-based adhesives.”, adds Marcello Taglietti.