Ecology and environmental protection

The European Ecolabel labels products and services that are more environmentally friendly. Since June 2020, the Ecolabel has also been placed on RAKO products too.

LASSELSBERGER, s.r.o. minimises environmental impacts throughout the entire life cycle of all its ceramic products – from the extraction of minerals to the end of the product’s life – this ensures intact ecosystems and creates a positive impact on society. The service life of ceramic tiles is practically unlimited. The endless life cycle of ceramic products is an added value that puts minimal strain on the environment, unlike substitute materials with short life cycles.

Most materials used in the manufacture of ceramic tiles are of a natural origin. LASSELSBERGER, s.r.o. has its own natural deposit sites. This applies to clay, kaolin, feldspar and limestone, as well as dolomites. Possessing our own raw materials minimises transport costs, transport emissions, and the consumption of exhaustible resources. Ceramic bodies/fragments recycled into production according to the principle of ecological and closed production are also indispensable input raw materials. To substitute parts of the raw materials, we use ground tiles. We return unfired bodies and dust from filters and calibration lines for processing, thereby promoting a material-efficient production process, which optimises raw material consumption, and the subsequent production of waste materials. Environmentally friendly ceramic production also consumes a significant share of waste water, including the use of rainwater for the production of ceramic products.

In the factories we use facilities that do not release harmful emissions into the atmosphere. We use modern filters to capture atmospheric emissions (pocket filters, fluoro filters) and the latest technologies to reduce the emission of dust and acidic compounds into the atmosphere. We efficiently utilise energy by way of our Energy Management System, in accordance with ISO 50001. We also utilise waste heat by way of cogeneration units, resulting in an energy-efficient production process with low CO₂ emissions. The waste heat is used to pre-heat the air in the spray dryers, and also to heat the production halls.

In the ceramic industry, we all devote time, resources, and efforts towards sustainable production that has a low negative impact on the environment.

LEED – Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
BREEAM – Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method

This planet is our home.

The production of construction materials has significant environmental impacts. Construction products constitute an integral part of the overall environmental quality of buildings. Although no unified methodology for environmental specification of buildings exists, international certification schemes that comprehensively assess buildings for compliance with sustainable building principles are increasingly used.

BREEAM and LEED are systems that assess buildings for their overall sustainability in several categories - for example, how energy efficient a building is, how much it contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, how well it provides for human health and well-being, what the land management patterns are like, whether and how much the building contributes to environmental pollution and how waste is managed.

BREEAM® (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) certification is the standard for best practice in building design with the emphasis on sustainable construction. This is the oldest and currently the most widely used certification in the field of energy-efficient and sustainable buildings. The BREEAM assessment looks at the specification of the building, its design, construction, and use. BREEAM uses recognised performance benchmarks that are set against established criteria.

LEED ® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification is an internationally recognised standard in the design and construction of environmentally friendly and sustainable buildings. It is an internationally recognised quality label that provides a framework for building owners and operators to identify and implement practical and measurable green building design, construction, operation and management.

LASSELSBERGER, s.r.o.  is committed to strengthening and greening the building supply chain also through these globally recognised LEED and BREEAM certification schemes. Sustainability is at the core of our efforts and is part of our product life cycle concept. Secondary raw materials from our and other industries can be used and ceramics can be recycled and reused. We save raw materials and consequently reduce the emissions associated with their extraction.

We are persistent, responsible, and proactive in changing things for the better.

The corporate strategy of LASSELSBERGER, s.r.o. includes the manufacture of environmentally friendly products that meet applicable national and international standards and use an environmentally friendly management system.

Public interest in building products with a higher value added in the form of lower environmental impacts is growing, and so EPD-certified products are becoming increasingly important.

The EPD product declaration describes the environmental impacts of each product starting from raw material extraction to the manufacturing process, shipment, throughout its use period as far as the end of its life cycle. This document provides quantified environmental information on the building product based on a comprehensive and scientifically sound analysis of the full product life cycle.

The EPD document helps us increase the competitiveness of RAKO products not only globally but also in the domestic market.

The ISO 9001 standard sets out the quality management system requirements.

Within the framework of the quality management system, the company sets its goals and plans for its production quality. Its qualitative goals and plans are progressively implemented through adjusted processes. Process efficiency is measured and monitored.  If necessary, the company may take measures and make changes to achieve its targets.

The standard goes on to address the principles of documentation management, human resources and infrastructure, and introduces processes for communicating with customers, evaluating suppliers, measuring process performance, and internal audits to generate feedback.

LASSELSBERGER, s.r.o. has implemented and continuously improved its integrated management system and its performance throughout the company with the aim of meeting the needs and expectations of our employees, customers and other stakeholders.  

The company complies with environmental requirements, which is evidenced by the “Environmental Product Declaration” (EPD) in accordance with ISO 14 025 and EN 15 804, EU Ecolabel, and the globally recognized LEED and BREEAM certification systems.

Our company has joined the "Responsible Company" initiative. This is an initiative that promotes education in waste sorting. Its main objective is to provide our employees with information on proper waste management, and not only on the company's administrative premises. It allows them to gain certificates and further increase the company's visibility and public awareness of its specific features.