STELLA’s motto “Close to Nature” is the DNA of our SME. As the sole lanolin manufacturer in the European market, we are aware of our particular responsibility in sourcing and purifying natural ingredients for dermo-cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.
Lanolin is the perfect example of the circular economy applied to fine chemistry.
It comes from suint (wool grease) recovered during the washing of sheep’s wool.
Sheep are shorn for their own comfort and hygiene.
The wash waters from greasy wool, also known as suintine, are a by-product from washing greasy wool that is shorn directly from wool sheep. No sheep are mistreated in this operation, which is, in fact, necessary for their good health.
The wash waters from greasy wool are hot-centrifuged to separate, on one side, the fatty fraction, and on the other, the coarser aqueous and solid phases.
This pretreatment allows for a reduction in water content to improve the efficiency of subsequent process steps, but it still contains many undesirable compounds for human use (free fatty acids, phospholipids, natural pigments, small polar molecules, etc.).
Wool grease is actually a waste product of the wool industry. STELLA revalues this natural raw material (upcycling) during its transformation into Lanolin. C’est pourquoi le bilan carbone de nos Lanolines est bas (en gros équivalent a celui du fromage), malgré les nombreuses opérations qu’elle subit.
Because we are an agile SME, we optimize all necessary flows for the operation of our 50,000 m² facilities.
Our site is equipped with photovoltaic panels on all available rooftops. 25% of our electricity consumption is solar and locally sourced.
Our lanolins have a low carbon footprint, roughly equivalent to that of a locally produced cheese.
Our raw material is a valorized by-product.
Unlike all other fats, its production does not require any agricultural land dedicated exclusively to its cultivation.
Located within a major urban area, we ensure exemplary management of our effluents for local communities and regulatory authorities.
Transparency is our best ally. We regularly submit our practices to the rigorous evaluation of the international EcoVadis standard.
Our environmental commitments are an integral part of our processes and management system. CSR and environmental processes and activities are managed within our quality system according to ISO9001 and GMP Excipact standards.
As a family-owned structure, we prioritize the sustainability of local jobs and the transmission of rare technical expertise in Europe.
