For the second consecutive year, Vitro“s business units for Glass Containers and Flat Glass as well as its subsidiary Clinica Vitro (the Vitro Clinic) and its corporate offices were awarded the covet…
For the second consecutive year, Vitro“s business units for Glass Containers and Flat Glass as well as its subsidiary Clinica Vitro (the Vitro Clinic) and its corporate offices were awarded the coveted Socially Responsible Company (ESR 2009) certification by the Mexican Philanthropic Center, A.C. (CEMEFI). This distinction was awarded to Vitro in virtue of having met standards in the strategic area of corporate social responsibility in Mxico. The standards cover the areas of environment, community, integral development of employees and corporate governance. As company representatives accepted the award from CEMEFI president Jorge Villalobos, Hugo Lara, Vitro CEO said: “We are honored to receive this certificate for the second consecutive year as a Socially Responsible Company, as it endorses the social and environmental orientation that Vitro has practiced since its founding in 1909, in many cases leading the way before Mexican social security institutions came into being. This nationally recognized certification motivates us to continue working for the benefit of our employees, our community and our environment especially in the current difficult business scenario that all companies are facing and to benefit future generations while supporting sustainable development”. He went on to say that all of the initiatives for social responsibility that Vitro has implemented over the past one hundred years, since its foundation, have been sufficient for CEMEFI to ascertain that there does indeed exist overwhelming evidence that the measures established by the institution are being fulfilled in the area of corporate social responsibility. “We are very proud of the fact that this year we reach our first century of working with glass, a material that forms part of the everyday lives of millions of people and especially, that it is environmentally friendly because it is 100% recyclable forever”, he declared. To date, one of the most important Vitro initiatives is its institutional program for glass recycling. In 2008 alone, Vitro recovered 128,000 tons of glass for recycling which converts into the saving of 7.6 million cubic meters of natural gas and eliminates carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere of 15,111 tons. Vitro“s environmental commitment in Mxico is also reflected in the certification of all of its individual manufacturing plants as “Clean Industry” given by Mexico“s Federal Environmental Protection Agency (PROFEPA). The addition of the FIDE Seal on some of the firm“s products certifies their energy efficient performance and contribution towards electrical energy savings.