Kerakoll

Kerakoll’s commitment to sustainability began in 1984 when Romano Sghedoni, the company’s founder declared that “there is no value in industrial success if it is not linked to sustainable development.” And this approach has widened and deepened over the years to include a comprehensive commitment to ESG issues, with the Italian company becoming a Benefit Corporation in 2021, and the Group, including the UK, gaining B Corp certification in 2023.

In the same year, Kerakoll UK gained ISO 9001 certification, and set up a Sustainability and Quality department dedicated to enhancing its approach to quality and sustainability by bringing quality assurance, product compliance and sustainability practices into a single area.

For the product offering, this is shown by a commitment to developing the best possible products for the construction industry to enable the construction of safe, healthy and beautiful buildings. This means researching materials and processes to reduce the impact on the environment, with a built-in respect for natural resources and the circular economy.

The company uses life cycle analysis and the GreenBuilding Rating to guide its choice of classification system and product design principles. The GreenBuilding Rating was developed by Kerakoll, and certified by SGS, as a transparent measure of the product’s most relevant sustainability characteristics, allowing the installer to see at a glance how environmentally friendly a product is. 

All Kerakoll products have passed the strictest lab tests and obtained various certifications which include:

• EMICODE EC1 PLUS for ultra-low emissions of volatile organic compounds, awarded by the German GEV Institute
• A+ labelling, required by French "Emissions dans l’air intérieur" legislation for building and decoration products according to ISO 16000
• EPD according to EN 15804 and ISO 14025
• Carbon Footprint surveys according to ISO 14067 and ISO 14040-44
• ISO 14021 certification of products containing recycled and recyclable materials at the end of their life cycle.

Innovative technologies for sustainability and performance

The focus on natural resources has led to the development of some very innovative new technologies, including Gel-Technology, which is used in the company’s tiling ranges, in particular H40 Gel-Adhesives, an award-winning range of tiling adhesives. These use a geo-binder containing natural polymers with a low environmental impact combined with a mineral that is extracted without the use of chemicals, solvents or synthetic post treatment agents. When the adhesives are mixed, the technology’s variable rheology and thixotropicity gives them a unique consistency that is both easy to apply and able to hold its shape at the same time.

Another example is Fugabella Color, the company’s resin-cement hybrid grout range. This uses similar technology and is produced without the addition of chemical and synthetic additives and biocides which are present in many of its competitors’ products.