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Environmentally-friendly products
In all its activities, Faurecia makes a constant
effort to show respect for the environment. A series of indicators and
precise objectives were defined during by the product development teams.
Four main directions were defined, affecting vehicles from the design
phase until they are withdrawn from circulation. These include:
Reducing vehicle weight reduction. promotes lower fuel consumption and therefore
pollution, without ever compromising the absolute imperative of safety.
Using of renewable materials and increasing the number of recyclable parts
in vehicles. With 44% of the weight of its six modules made from steel which
is fully recyclable, Faurecia has already gone a long way towards meeting
this requirement. But the Group is also moving towards the use of plant
fibers, particularly wood, which are now more frequently used in the design
of instrument and door panel supports, and acoustic materials.
Defining conception rules aimed at the design teams. To this end, the Group
has created ten expert “Eco-design” positions to monitor day-to-day practice
in this area. As a results, our engineers have a greater awareness of problems
relating to compatibility of materials and product dismantling, for example
keeping bonding to a minimum.
Deplaying training and awareness initiatives at Group production facilities
on the principles of reducing energy consumption and limiting the use of
natural resources in the manufacturing process. This is done in line with
the establishment of environmental management systems based on the ISO 14001
standard. This priority also features in the Faurecia
Excellence System.
Of course, environmental friendliness in the automotive industry is also about regulatory issues.
These are primarily concerned with eliminating prohibited materials, such as cadmium, lead, mercury
and chrome VI. Not forgetting some volatile organic compounds (VOCs), gases that cause the
familiar “new smell” in vehicles but which can in fact be harmful and fog up the windows.
Finally, the Group has completely stopped using heavy metals.
 Safety at work
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solvent-free paint line in Étupes, France |
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