• Gruppo DESA, a historic Italian company in the field of detergents and personal care, has published its first sustainability report.
• A milestone in a journey that has seen the integration of an ESG strategy into the industrial plan.
• The Group is working to reduce the environmental impact of its products and processes while safeguarding safety, quality and performance.

The detergents industry plays a significant role in the European Union's economy: in 2020 it reached a market value of €41.2 billion, with around 700 production sites spread across the Continent. It is also a sensitive sector, in which safety standards – in health and environmental terms – must be rigorous. It is no coincidence that the Council and European Parliament recently reached a provisional agreement on the update of the regulation on detergents and surfactants: among the aspects to be addressed are the biodegradability of films and substances, the reduction of phosphorus, and the sale of bulk products and refills. While the institutional machinery moves forward, there are companies doing their part to improve their environmental and social footprint, transparently communicating the goals achieved and commitments for the future. Such as Gruppo DESA, which has just published its first sustainability report.

Gruppo DESA's first sustainability report

Gruppo DESA is an Italian company whose history is rooted in the Brianza of the early twentieth century. Today it is a group comprising three production companies and five commercial companies, with total revenues of €467 million in 2024 (of which 28 per cent recorded abroad) and 525 employees. It is best known to consumers above all for brands such as Chanteclair (with the Vert line focusing on ingredients of natural origin), Spuma di Sciampagna, Quasar and Sauber.

For the Group, this is its first sustainability report, drawn up on a voluntary basis following the European ESRS (European Sustainability Reporting Standards). A document that analyses sustainability policies understood in their three dimensions – environmental, social and governance (ESG) – and that forms part of a process of integrating the ESG strategy into the industrial plan. "In recent times we have taken important steps both from an environmental and a social point of view, so it seemed natural to draw up a transparent report, with clear figures and objectives to communicate externally what we are doing. Over the past two years, moreover, our company's governance has become more consolidated, creating the foundations for a serious and more structured reporting process," Gruppo DESA's ESG Director Fabrizio Foglia confirms to LifeGate.

From plastics to energy: how the environmental impact of production is being reduced

For a sector like detergents, the commitment to a more planet-friendly development model starts above all with research and development activities. Among the more than ninety projects carried out by Gruppo DESA in 2024, the focus is on biodegradable formulations, increasing the concentration of liquid detergents, and measures to make bottles lighter and more recyclable. The flagship initiative in this regard is the Chanteclair Vert line, which must comply with a dedicated sustainability specification validated by an independent certification body.

The environmental impact, however, is not determined by products alone. Processes are equally important. Hence the decision to expand the photovoltaic system on the roof of the Sant'Agata Bolognese plant, so as to self-produce even more clean energy, and to decommission the historic atomisation tower at the Seregno plant – an operation that reduced natural gas consumption by 16 per cent compared to 2023. An important project is also nearing completion that will make it possible to draw up an inventory of the Group's greenhouse gas emissions and define a structured decarbonisation strategy.

The challenge the Group faces – and which in the chemical sector is far from straightforward – is to guarantee product quality, performance and safety while eliminating hazardous substances wherever possible and lightening the environmental footprint. Hence the project to reduce – and ultimately eliminate – the presence of 1,4-dioxane in surfactants, a by-product that raises concerns due to its potential effects on aquatic ecosystems and human health. Even waste, thanks to innovation, can be turned back into a resource: for some years now the company has been able to extract the aromatic essences remaining in the wash water from the detergent line, concentrate them and repurpose them to give them a new life. A concrete example of the circular economy.