Mazzucchelli 1849
175 Years of Legacy
Mazzucchelli 1849 has focused sustainability. No longer satisfied with only high quality and aesthetics, the company is expanding its eco-friendly activities with a new production facility.
Starting as a small factory in 1849, Mazzucchelli 1849’s acetates have become world-renowned. 175 years have passed since Santino Mazzucchelli opened a tiny factory to manufacture combs and buttons made from animal horn, bone and tortoiseshell. During these 175 years that small factory grew and, thanks to the foresight and ideas of the members of the Mazzucchelli family, who understood its potential, generation after generation, it became what it is today: an international company with a highly sophisticated know-how, world leader in production and distribution of cellulose acetate granules and sheets, mainly used in the eyewear market. Mazzucchelli 1849 has evolved into an international leader in the cellulose acetate production industry, celebrated for its craftsmanship and innovation. As the company celebrates its 175th anniversary, we present the interview of Group Product Development Manager Elena Orsi Mazzucchelli about the development of sustainable materials and its vision for strategic expansion.
Mazzucchelli 1849’s legacy spans six generations. How does the company balance the preservation of tradition and craftsmanship with its drive for innovation in a rapidly evolving market?
This question deserves serious consideration. Sometimes a mindset and an approach to work that come naturally are not easy to explain. Mazzucchelli preserves the tradition of modernity, it’s the way of being of the family conveyed to the company. Mazzucchelli’s activities have changed over time, but the focus on the quality of what we produce has not changed and, above all, the same as always is the driving force that leads us to look beyond. It is not only necessary to decipher and understand the market, but, mainly, to be one step ahead. You have to weigh up and make strict choices but then believe in what you do and carry it out with determination. Changes may be very violent, quick and impacting nowadays. It becomes essential to work with a cohesive team. I believe in the key role of the human figure, the quality of the people involved in the company certainly makes the difference. The centrality of the person and craftsmanship must be preserved addressing aspects related to all-round sustainability.
We understand that Mazzucchelli 1849 is opening a new production facility this year. Could you provide details on the motivation behind this expansion, the technologies or capabilities it will introduce, and how it aligns with the company’s vision for the future?
In particular, opening our new plant means that we have redesigned our processes to use energy from renewable sources and have much lower energy consumption, lower water consumption, lower process waste and higher production efficiency. This specifically means that we have redesigned our processes in order to use energy from renewable sources and to have much lower energy consumption, lower water consumption, lower process waste and higher production efficiency. This is thanks to new, entirely re-designed machinery, a high level of automation and an innovative production process control system.
Talking about sustainability also means finding solutions with a lower environmental impact: for this reason, we planned the construction of a Waste Recovery Centre, which will be able to treat the cellulose acetate waste generated by our processes and transform it into End of Waste, to be recovered in the chemical recycling plant of our supplier Eastman. This circular process of acetate waste recovery can also be offered to our customers, helping to reduce the global quantities of waste that are currently sent to landfill.
How does the company incorporate sustainability into its corporate direction, and can you elaborate on its efforts, particularly in developing sustainable materials like M49 bioplastic?
Most of the investments carried out in recent years have been directed towards improvements in processes, materials and technologies so as to have a better impact on the environment. One of them is M49, Mazzucchelli bioplastic, whose formula combines the physical mechanical characteristics of the classical formulation with a characteristic of strong eco-sustainability. Traditional plasticizer has been replaced by a plasticizing solution of vegetable origin, thus making M49 a bioplastic with a remarkable bio-based content. A far more recent example of Mazzucchelli commitment to sustainability is the collaboration with the US company Eastman started in 2020. Following this collaboration, Mazzucchelli has decided to add to its production the manufacturing of sheets made with Acetate Renew™, an innovative flake generated through a process, called Carbon Renewal Technology, that transforms plastic waste into primary molecules in order to obtain the raw material again.
Mazzucchelli 1849 is known for collaborating with some of the best companies globally. Could you share examples of successful collaborations and how these partnerships have contributed to the company’s success?
We collaborate with all our customers trying to share innovation and improvement programs and projects, ranging from system integration to the development of new products. We are very proud of the collaboration with our main raw material supplier, Eastman Chemical, one of the most important companies in the world in the production of plastic materials and at the forefront of chemical recycling processes. The collaboration with Eastman will allow us to create a circular waste and waste recovery process that goes in the direction of increasing the sustainability of our businesses.
How does Mazzucchelli 1849 envision its role in the future of the cellulose acetate production industry, and what steps is the company taking to adapt to emerging challenges and opportunities?
Mazzucchelli wants to continue to play an important role in the world of cellulose acetate. Mazzucchelli is and wants to continue to be the most important reference for those who work in the eyewear market, especially, but not only, high-end eyewear. This is why it is important to guarantee innovation not only in design and color variations, but in materials and processes, as far as production and supply chain integration are concerned. Today it is no longer enough to be able to make a product that is aesthetically and technically up to par; it is necessary to develop solutions that respond to the needs of material sustainability, increasingly high quality and increasingly flexible and fast service. Mazzucchelli is investing resources and energy to respond to new emerging needs, and the investments in the new factory and the waste recovery center are just some of the new steps we are taking.
Source: 20/20 Europe
July 2024