Companies are being called on to play a more incisive role to develop a circular economy model in line with the UN 2030 Agenda’s SDG 12 (ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns) and SDG 13 (take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts).
To this end, Leonardo is committed to promoting everyday environmentally responsible behaviour by raising awareness among its employees of the importance of separate waste collection, through initiatives aimed at reducing the use of plastic in its industrial sites and the organization of clean-up activities in the reference territories.
From 2022, the Company organised several ecological walks for its employees alongside Plastic Free Onlus, a voluntary association, founded in 2019, with the aim of providing information to and raising awareness among citizenship on the dangers and environmental damages caused by plastic. Considered one of the country’s most important organisation dealing with this issue, today the Association comprises a network of 1.100 representatives and 200.000 volunteers.
In 2022 the three events took place with Leonardo: during Italy’s Plastic Free Day, at the Castel Fusano Pine Forest (Rome), for the World Environment Day near the Pomigliano d'Arco plant (Naples); and the last one near the site of Nerviano (Milan).
Plastic Free event at the company site in Pomigliano d'Arco (Naples), in June 5, 2022
In 2023, for the World Ocean’s Day, the Company organised an important clean-up day at the beach of Ostia (Rome) and in the surrounding pine forest, which saw the participation of employees from all over the Group. Only in this site have been picked up over than 800 kg of waste.
Such concrete initiatives produce tangible results and promote a model of active citizenship. To date, infact, more than 200 employees - involved together with Plastic Free – played their role in an extraordinary clean up: over 2 tons of waste picked up, including plastic, glass and unsorted and bulky waste materials.
Leonardo’s volunteers during the Plastic Free event on last 10 June 2023, at the beach of Ostia (Rome)
However, the Company's commitment to this issue is not limited to its collaboration with Plastic Free. Indeed, through its Sustainability Plan, Leonardo is pursuing several projects aimed at decreasing and reuse of plastic. These include, for example, the “Plasticless” project, with the intent on reducing disposable plastic in company canteens. This change, together with the installation of running water dispensers and special cup-washing machines, has resulted in the elimination of about 80 percent of water bottles and the avoidance of about 120 tons per year of plastic, from 2022.
Other initiatives include the recovery and reuse – up to three times – of the plastic packaging of manufacturing materials in sites’ production areas.
With these concrete gestures, Leonardo, through its current sustainability projects and new appointments for the protection of the Planet and its ecosystem, is committed to supporting and disseminating the value of environmental responsibility.