A kitchen work-surface made from 100% recyclable glass, offering a combination of new design and sustainability, not just in terms of the production process but also with regard to the product itself: a perfect example of the policy adopted by Valcucine. Evidence of this approach can be seen in their Artematrica Vitrum kitchen with Invitrum Base.

This innovative kitchen design is the result a long process of research into the various materials involved and their levels of tolerance, undertaken with the worthy aim of revolutionizing the kitchen furniture sector. A foremost consideration was the fact that the process for producing recycled aluminium uses only a twentieth of the energy required for primary production. A traditional kitchen normally requires the bases to be coupled together, which further involves a doubling of the chipboard sides, to reach a width of 36mm. Valcucine, on the other hand, has designed the structure of the kitchen in a horizontal manner, using a single glass lateral support just 10mm in width. All these new glass kitchen bases can be easily dismounted because they are only held together by mechanical joints rather than by glue. The use of mono-material components facilitates dismounting of the constituent elements. In addition, the company guarantees free collection of the kitchen right up to the end of its life-cycle.

The Valcucine enterprise was founded in 1980 and now has 172 employees and 5 commercial brands. Attention to environmental concerns has become an increasingly important factor in the firm’s philosophy, with sustainability at the centre of every stage of the production process, from the original design to the distribution phase. Every component manufactured is first researched down to the finest detail, in order to harmonize good design and environmental concerns to the greatest possible extent. This involves focusing special attention on minimizing consumption of energy and raw materials during production, and on the use of recyclable materials. It also entails reducing toxic emissions and the involvement of polluting chemical substances, both in the production phase and during use, and ensuring that the product has a long life-span. All these objectives are made possible thanks to the state-of-the-art technology employed by the company. Valcucine has borrowed know-how from the automobile industry to create cupboard doors using the absolute minimum of material: measuring only 2mm in width, they require the use of 90 % less wood. In addition to the use of cutting-edge technology, Valcucine gives high priority to craftsmanship. The technique of inlay-work, both on wood and glass, is an ancient craft requiring many years experience and considerable manual dexterity, and is sadly a skill which is fast being forgotten and left to die out in modern industrial society. Such attention to detail is one of the aspects which make Valcucine products so popular abroad. Indeed, 30% of the company’s total turnover is from exports, both within Europe and to the United States, Canada, Russia and South-East Asia.