The Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) this week certified RONAL GROUP facilities RONAL POLSKA Sp. z o.o. in Wałbrzych, Poland and RONAL AG Headquarters in Härkingen, Switzerland under its Performance Standard V2 (2017) with Material Stewardship focus.
Founded in 1969, RONAL GROUP is a major manufacturer of light alloy wheels. The company operates across the complete process chain, from design, through tooling, to the finished product. The firm has in its book of business every major automobile manufacturer and markets its products under the RONAL and SPEEDLINE TRUCK brands, among others.
The facility in Poland certified by ASI this week has a production capacity of 2 million light alloy wheels per annum.
Fiona Solomon, Chief Executive Officer at ASI, lauded the firm for its achievement in a related press release.
“We warmly congratulate RONAL GROUP on achieving Performance Standard Certification with Material Stewardship focus. Working with supply chain partners on product design and material section is critical when creating a closed loop for products at end-of-life. The company’s ongoing measures for reducing material consumption, streamlining alloy use and creating material recycling loops demonstrate its commitment to collaboration and circularity of aluminium.”
ASI’s Performance Standard is the product of consultations with a multitude of stakeholders throughout the aluminium value chain, which ASI asserts is the sole comprehensive voluntary sustainability standard initiative in the aluminium sector. The standard defines 59 criteria categorized in three sustainability pillars that cover several issues, including biodiversity, Indigenous Peoples rights, and greenhouse gas emissions. Third-party audit of the certification was conducted by TÜV Rheinland Cert GmbH.
Oliver Brauner, RONAL GROUP CEO, said that the certification was years in the making.
“After joining the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative as a Downstream Supporter Member in 2018 and transitioning to be an Industrial User in September 2020, we are now very proud that we, as RONAL GROUP, have now taken the next step by achieving Performance Standard certification. The successful first certification is a significant milestone in our sustainability strategy towards responsible production, procurement and handling of resources and raw materials. RONAL GROUP supports the ASI’s goal of encouraging transparency and accountability in the sourcing and production of aluminum. We are very proud to receive the ASI certification according to the Performance Standard.”
The ASI is a worldwide organization dedicated to setting industrial standards and certifications in the aluminium industry. The association brings together the various stakeholders in the aluminium industry in order to achieve objectives including sustainable production methods, material chain-of-custody procedures, recycling, social impacts related to aluminium production, and production standards.