The certification was awarded on the 18th, at the company’s headquarters in Novo Hamburgo/RS, Brazil. Recertified at the Silver level (achieving over 40% of the program’s indicators), Embasul reinforces its commitment to sustainability across its environmental, social, and cultural dimensions.

On the occasion, the company’s administrative director, Carlos Basso, highlighted that the manufacturer, throughout its 40 years of operation, has always aligned with the strategic objectives of its clients, which are now heavily focused on ESG practices. “Sustainable Origin is already part of our DNA. Our approximately 200 employees understand the importance of sustainability in the Rio Grande do Sul production chain, and therefore, alongside fast and quality delivery, they prioritize compliance with legislation and socio-environmental innovation,” he emphasized.

Neutral Footprint

A highlight for the company is the creation of Pegada Neutra (Neutral Footprint), a managing entity within the group to handle the reverse logistics of its clients’ packaging with security and transparency. “We created an entity to manage the sale of credits, which are purchased by our clients. This means they already receive packaging with its environmental impacts mitigated and in accordance with legislation,” Basso explained.

Basso also mentioned another notable achievement in this area: the system for the complete reuse of water used in machine and equipment washing. After passing through its own treatment plant, the water returns to the production process for glue manufacturing. Still in the environmental dimension, the company reports the creation of a boiler for burning pallets used in the production process. This operation, licensed by Fepam, helps reduce costs for Embasul, which uses the steam generated by the burning in packaging production.

The Company

With a production of over one thousand tons of packaging per month, Embasul has 200 employees and serves clients of all sizes and segments.

The Program

Created by Assintecal in partnership with the Brazilian Association of Footwear Industries (Abicalçados) in 2013, the Sustainable Origin program is based on the best international sustainability practices, following the guideline of 104 indicators distributed across five dimensions: economic, environmental, social, cultural, and sustainability management. The certified categories are: Diamond (+80% of indicators achieved); Gold (+60%); Silver (+40%); and Bronze (+20%). Audits are carried out by independent bodies such as SENAI, SGS, ABNT, Intertek, and Bureau Veritas. Currently, over 110 companies in the footwear production chain are certified or in the certification process. Renewals happen every two years. More information is available on the website.