Mantero

Mantero is a family-owned textile company founded in 1902, in Italy’s Como region.

Founder Riccardo Mantero, started off with a small silk store over 100 years ago and created one of the world’s leading producers for luxury fabrics, offering world-class expertise in design, weaving, traditional screen printing, digital printing, and quality control. 

The entire production and distribution process takes place at the company’s Como headquarters - minimizing its carbon footprint - by a team of over 426 employees under the leaderships of siblings Franco and Lucia Mantero. 

The company’s mission remains focused on delivering the highest quality ‘Made in Italy’ products, but today the Manteros have been turning their focus on their company’s sustainability commitments too. 

The company follows the United Nation’s “Agenda 2030” sustainable development objectives to help ensure its processes are economically viable, but also ethical and environmentally friendly. 

Some recent initiatives include implementing a Code of Ethics to promoted equal opportunities; welcoming political migrants into their work force as part of a collaboration with the “Promoting Refugees Integration” associations; selecting their suppliers based on transparency standards; and receiving the new ISO 45001 certification which provides a valid worldwide worker health and safety management system regulation. 

Mantero has implemented the Chemical Management 4sustainability® protocol for eliminating toxic and harmful substances in production through the Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals - ZDHC MRSL. The companies factories are also certified with the SA8000 Social Responsibility certification, which guarantees a safe and healthy workplace and protection against the exploitation of minors. 

On the environmental level, Mantero is working on multiple fronts, from printing with metal-free dyes; to using new LED lighting to save electricity consumption; a 972,38kW photovoltaic energy production plant to save energy consumption; a new fabric steaming system to reduce water consumption;  a new central heating plant that makes it possible to recover heat and use it to heat the water during the washing processes, saving methane and reducing CO2 emissions; and becoming a member of the BCI (Better Cotton Initiative), through which farmers receive training in how to use their water resources and reduce their use of fertilizers and pesticides. 

Other certifications received by the company include the following: 

• Recycled Claim Standard (RCS) certification: An internationally recognized certification which guarantees that materials can be traced throughout the production chain.
• ISO 14001 environmental certification which guarantees compliance with the environmental management standard (EMS).
• Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) certification: This guarantees the sustainable production of natural fibres, obtained organic farming.