Pasta Zara publishes its first Sustainability Report: innovation, measurement and transparency

Pasta Zara has published its first Sustainability Report, a document that marks a turning point in the company’s sustainable development journey and establishes structured operational management of ESG factors.

With a production of 118.999 tonnes of pasta and a turnover of 154 million euros, the Treviso-based company confirms its role as an international player, translating its longstanding passion for pasta-making into concrete objectives for measurement and continuous improvement.

"Since 1898, we have been producing pasta with passion and a sense of responsibility towards consumers and the local area," said Furio Bragagnolo, President of Pasta Zara. "Today, we are responding to demand that rewards quality and transparency. Our commitment to economic, social and environmental sustainability is verifiable in practice: the climate reporting process and the strengthening of internal expertise confirm that every action we take is geared towards generating long-term value, fully consistently with the improvement objectives defined for our environmental performance."

CO2 emissions and water savings

2025 marks Pasta Zara’s first complete inventory of greenhouse gas emissions, calculated according to the GHG Protocol and certified to ISO 14064-1 for 2024 and 2025. Total emissions amounted to 247.068 tonnes of CO2 equivalent, down by 5,1% compared with 2024, mainly thanks to the reduction in emissions related to the purchase of goods and services.

Regarding the water resource, the installation of a new industrial chiller made it possible to reduce consumption intensity by 36,8%, while the proportion of waste sent for recovery rose from 83,7% to 90,6%. Confirming the robustness of the environmental management system, active and ISO 14001 certified since 2003, the 2024-2025 audits found no non-conformities, and the Arpav inspection carried out in 2025 confirmed that the facility was being managed correctly.

LCA and science-based targets

Alongside the performance data already measured, Pasta Zara launched a 2025 Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) project on Pastificio Bragagnolo branded pennette, to measure the environmental impacts across the product’s entire life cycle in an integrated manner. The process will be updated in 2026, with the aim of obtaining the corresponding certification. In parallel, the company is considering joining the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) to define a decarbonisation plan with scientifically validated targets, the structuring of which is planned for the end of 2026.

Packaging and circularity

In line with the principles of the new European PPWR (Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation), Pasta Zara has begun a packaging redesign for the Grano Italiano line from Pastificio Bragagnolo, one of the company’s historic brands. The new paper solutions are designed as monomaterial solutions with a predominant material percentage above 95%, using water-based, solvent-free inks, in full compliance with the REACH regulation.

People, expertise and certifications

The sustainability strategy is supported by a structured plan to develop internal expertise. In collaboration with Guidehouse, the company team acquired expertise in the GHG Protocol for reporting Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions; in parallel, through Ca’ Foscari University, specific training was provided on the new European PPWR directive and the circular economy. The ESG journey is also monitored through the EcoVadis rating.

At the heart of the business remain quality and the food safety, guaranteed by a certified system that is evolving from ISO 9001 standards towards IFS (International Featured Standards). In 2025, the organic certifications (EC Reg. No. 848/2018 and 1165/2021), Kosher and Halal certifications were also renewed.

“Our next steps have already been mapped out through ambitious and concrete objectives. In parallel, we will continue to develop our ethical identity: we will work to lay the foundations necessary for adopting the Unidpr principles and will proceed with rewriting our code of ethics. We will work to ensure that every aspect of our growth, from machinery to people, is aligned with increasingly high standards of responsibility,” concludes Furio Bragagnolo.

This article was translated from the original Italian version with the assistance of artificial intelligence. In case of discrepancies, please refer to the original Italian version.