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Riopele obtained an excellent result in the follow-up audit of the Quality Management, Environmental Management and Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems. The APCER audit, which took place between 17 and 20 April, held the objectives of determining the capacity of the management system, ensuring continuous improvement and continued compliance with the requirements of the reference standards and assessing the suitability of the certification scope in view of eventual changes.
"Distinction as the most attractive textile company to work for in Portugal", "Significant increase in turnover", "70% reduction in natural gas consumption through the deployment of a biomass boiler" and "Implementation of projects to reduce the carbon footprint and water management" represent some of the aspects most valued in an audit that covered every process in the integrated management system.
In the closing session, Member of the Board of Directors, Bernardino Carneiro, thanked "the commitment and effort of all the teams involved" and stressed the competences and demands of the audit carried out.
In general terms, Riopele continues to operate an Integrated Management System that guarantees compliance with the applicable normative and regulatory requirements, with clear examples of continuous improvement. The audit team highlighted, among others, several factors, specifically:
- Distinction by Randstad Employer Brand Research as the most attractive textile company to work for in Portugal;
- Increase in annual turnover of 45%;
- Investment in people and in their training and assessment of the organisational climate with a high level of employee participation;
- Start-up of the biomass boiler and a 70% reduction in natural gas consumption;
- Project to reduce the carbon footprint, with a forecast reduction from 9.2 to 2 kg CO2/kg produced;
- Project to install photovoltaic panels at Riopele B, guaranteeing around 21% of the electricity required by this unit;
- Increase in sales of recycled products;
- Commitment to improving sustainability, local purchases to reduce the carbon footprint, business agility and brand differentiation;
- Improvements implemented at the level of infrastructures and production planning and monitoring in the weaving sector;
- High rate of wastewater reuse and water management improvement program;
-Commitment, dedication and focus on the objectives of the entire Riopele team.
Having thus met the objectives of the audit, APCER concluded that the company meets the terms and conditions for maintaining the certification of its Quality, Environment, Health and Safety at Work Integrated Management System.
