From the beginning, Lladró’s goal has always been to create beauty with sustainability and respect. In fact, the Spanish brand has been applying many of today’s mandatory standards from its outset, having adopted them naturally in the understanding that the only way forward was to respect all the agents involved in the process of conception, production and commercialisation of our porcelain creations.
From the raw material itself, encompassing each and every step of the entire artisan process is carried out by the hands, minds and hearts of all the people who make up Lladró, including the connection with our customers, who we offer a beautiful product that will last a lifetime. These are principles which are part of the DNA of the brand. As such we are committed not only to ensuring its continuation over time but also to improving them. After all, a sustainable presence must be built day after day in all areas if we wish to look after the world and to pass it on to future generations.
“We are agents of change who wish to continue creating beauty with respect and commitment.”
ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY
All Lladró creations are made with porcelain, a natural material made from a combination of three minerals: quartz, feldspar and kaolin, mixed with water. These natural raw materials are mostly sourced in Spain, which means that the impact in terms of transportation is minimal, thus helping to reduce CO2 emissions while at once boosting the local economy and supporting local businesses, activating one of the key levers of sustainability. The supply of raw materials also applies to the rest of the elements used in our creations, all of which are locally sourced in Spain. These range from the electrical components for our lighting collections, the natural wax for candles or the metal components in Lladró jewellery.
SLOW DESIGN: A FOCUS ON CRAFT AND QUALITY
Since Lladró was founded in 1953, all the brand’s creations have been distinguished by the elaborate handmade process followed by each one. A process involving sculptors, ornamental artists, technicians, painters, flower artists…the list goes on. One by one, they leave their mark, an almost imperceptible stamp that makes a piece absolutely unique. The creative process of each new model takes months, and sometimes even years for larger compositions. A testament to the fact that here at Lladró, time, contrary to today’s fast-paced society, is a key factor and a warranty of the quality, attention to detail and worth of our creations. The mind, the heart and hands of each artisan who intervenes in the process come together harmoniously to create something flawless. Our goal is not to create more but to create better. We are not after a disposable object but one that will last a lifetime. In fact, many of our creations, and more specifically those in our Heritage category, are passed down from generation to generation and so have more than one life.
ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY
Reduce, reuse, recycle… the three Rs of sustainability and the path towards a circular economy and reducing our carbon footprint.
We reduce our environmental impact through the responsible use of energy, water, materials, and transportation is part of our present and future goals for improvement. For instance, in the creation of our pieces, we use plaster moulds, in which the liquid porcelain is poured. Once the useful life of these moulds is over, they are treated by a waste management company that reuses them. The majority of materials made from combining minerals are infinitely recyclable if the chemical composition of the plaster is not altered in the process.
Similarly, we purify the water we use in making porcelain paste. We remove all solid sediments, which are then also treated, and the water is returned clean to the system. On the other hand, the liquid paste we take from the moulds during the process of making the fragments for the pieces is reused for making bases or fragments and the varnish decorating many of our creations is recycled through the use of water curtains. We are also constantly working on improving our packaging, reducing our consumption of plastic and thus our carbon footprint. We have already applied these policies in our home fragrances line, without affecting the proper conservation of the perfumes in these creations.
We are continually taking steps and actions aligning with our philosophy to make things better and improve our recycling process from start to finish.
SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY - EQUALITY, INCLUSION, SOLIDARITY
A World of Women
You could say that since its inception, Lladró has been inclusive and aware of gender equality. There are few companies in which women have had and continue to have such a preponderant role. For decades, not only have women been at the very heart of all its artisan process, but they have also occupied executive roles on a par with men. In fact, as of 2020, the company has achieved one of its goals, namely 50-50 parity for men and women in its Management Committee, thus exceeding the legal requirements by 10%.
The conditions of the various teams, currently comprising 226 women and 141 men, as well as incoming new talent, are based on the premise of caring for and maximising the skills brought by each and every member of the company and their contributions to the present and the future of the brand. Our equality plan from 2013 is currently being expanded.
Social Inclusion
Many years before the Law on the Rights of People with Disabilities and Social Inclusion was passed, Lladró had brought on board its teams a range of people with varied physical capacities, offering all kinds of people equality of opportunities. Over time, what originally arose from the company’s commitment and understanding of its team as a family, proved the worth of this approach, not just on a social level but also as a business philosophy.
Humanitarian Projects
Our social commitment has led us to take part in many humanitarian projects and to collaborate with NGOs such as UNICEF, Operation Smile, Manos Unidas, Sambala Foundation, Breast Cancer Foundation, Nido Foundation, Concordia Foundation and Payasospital, among others.
Contributing to the work being carried out by large and small associations and institutions on behalf of the disadvantaged, in search of medical advancements, or in projects to recovery crafts, has always been, and will continue to be part of Lladró’s ongoing commitment to give back to the world.
Here at Lladró we reaffirm our engagement with sustainability and commit ourselves to continue creating beauty with natural locally-sourced materials, slow design and equality. Because building a sustainable presence means looking after the world in which we live and preserving it for future generations. From everyone at Lladró, we want to continue creating consciously, developing more responsible initiatives with people, the economy and the environment.