ICER Brakes Boosts Sustainable Manufacturing

Spanish manufacturer ICER Brakes is advancing its sustainability goals through its 'ICER Goes Green' program, significantly cutting emissions, reducing waste, and incorporating recycled materials into its high-quality brake pads.

Spanish brake components manufacturer ICER Brakes is making significant strides in environmental responsibility through its comprehensive sustainability program, “ICER Goes Green.” The initiative focuses on making the entire manufacturing process more sustainable by reducing consumption, waste, and emissions, all while maintaining the high quality of its products. The program has already demonstrated measurable success in decreasing the company’s environmental impact.

Key Highlights

  • The “ICER Goes Green” program, established in 2020, integrates sustainability across the company under an Environmental Management System certified by ISO 14001:2015.
  • More than 78% of the energy consumed by ICER comes from renewable sources, with its manufacturing plant in Navarra, Spain, self-generating 35% of its electricity via an expanded photovoltaic installation.
  • The company has achieved a 35.7% reduction in CO2​ emissions since 2021 and is implementing a plan for further reductions through 2030.
  • All ICER brake pads are free from copper and heavy metals, and their formulations for passenger cars incorporate over 13% recycled materials, including rubber from used tires.
  • Waste management policies have led to a 27% reduction in waste generated per brake pad since 2020 and a 19% decrease in hazardous waste since 2021.

The “ICER Goes Green” Initiative

Launched in 2020, the “ICER Goes Green” program is a company-wide initiative designed to embed sustainability into every facet of the business. A key component of this strategy is its Environmental Management System, which is certified under ISO 14001:2015 standards. This system ensures that environmental risks associated with its industrial activities are consistently identified and controlled. 11ICER prioritizes offering environmentally friendly products without compromising its position as a market leader in quality and innovation.

Circular Economy and Material Formulation

ICER Brakes actively promotes a circular economy by using recycled materials in its products. The friction material in its brake pads for passenger cars and light commercial vehicles contains over 13% recycled content, such as rubber from recycled tires. This practice results in an annual saving of nearly 500 tonnes of rubber and other recovered materials that would otherwise be extracted or discarded as waste. Furthermore, all brake pads produced by ICER are free of copper and other heavy metals.

Commitment to Clean Energy

The company shows a strong commitment to clean energy. A significant 78% of the energy ICER uses is sourced from renewables. An on-site photovoltaic installation, which was expanded in 2024, allows its Navarra plant to generate 35% of its own electricity. This focus on clean energy prevents the emission of 1,100 tonnes of CO2​ annually, an impact equivalent to the air quality improvement provided by 83,000 new trees.

Reducing Emissions and Waste

Through its sustainability efforts, ICER achieved an 11.2% reduction in CO2​ emissions in 2024 compared to the previous year. Since 2021, total emissions have fallen by 35.7%. The company has also implemented effective waste management policies, reducing waste per brake pad by 27% between 2020 and 2024. In that same period, the volume of hazardous waste generated at its facilities was cut by over 19%.

For more information, visit icerbrakes.com.

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