FAQs

Tolsa is sustainable mining-certified company. This means that our strategic foresight encompasses all the ways our activity could have an economic, social or environmental impact.
Monitoring these three pillars is part of our growth strategy and the result of this active monitoring is our commitment to being awarded the most stringent certifications.

The race towards sustainability entails a two-fold challenge faced by all mining companies. On the one hand, ensuring a positive impact by improving the environmental and social footprint of their operations while, at the same time, producing more – as strategic minerals are of the utmost importance in the transition towards a more sustainable society.

Demand for minerals is estimated to rise ten-fold by 2050, primarily as a result of the raw materials required by the renewable-energy industry, electric cars, solar panels and even our mobile phones. To move forward, society needs elements that only mining can provide.

Tolsa is well aware of this challenge and, over the last number of years, we have been working not just to enhance our operations, but also to develop ore solutions that play a part in creating safer, more efficient and, above all, more sustainable materials of the future.

We strive to have a positive impact on society by making good use of 21st century resources.

“Positive impact” refers to everything measurable and specific as a result of our activity.

• Positive impact by improving the areas and local communities we work in.
• Positive impact thanks to the specific benefits of our products.
• Positive impact by looking after the people we work with.
• Positive impact by looking after the people we work for.

Want to know how? Consult Tolsa’s projects with a view to playing our part in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals on our sustainability page.

We must take advantage of the resources that nature offers us in a responsible manner; not forgetting all those within our reach that can help us achieve sustainable growth.

As well as natural resources, such as our raw materials or clean energy, we need to make the most of technological resources and keep up to date with scientific advancements that could be a lever for internal or global transformation.

For Tolsa, knowledge sharing means sharing value, which is why we see it as our responsibility to make good use of our experience and expertise to forge lasting alliances with our clients, employees and stakeholders in general.

Tolsa strives to provide value to the communities we work in; which is only possible if we forge lasting alliances that give us an insight into real needs.

For example, we have a long-term local development project in Senegal, through which we ensure the schooling of more than 300 children, medical care for them and their families, and access to food and hygiene products, among other initiatives.

In developed countries, our contribution is more geared towards other matters, broadly speaking, within the scope of the sustainable growth of our way of life and facing up to major environmental challenges.

A lot of what we do goes into teaming up with research centres and companies to create the materials of the future while ensuring that our cities, food and the energy we use have the least environmental impact possible.

Actively listening to and involving our stakeholders is a key part of our strategy, because we are convinced that the only way to overcome the challenges of the future is by pooling efforts, talent and resources.

Society is increasingly calling for companies to become more open to collaborating with administrations, non-governmental organisations, consumers and citizens, and even to work with other companies through national and international ventures, all with one clear goal in mind: to pave new ways together with a view to overcoming the challenges that affect each and every one of us.

Want to know how? Consult Tolsa’s projects with a view to playing our part in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals on our sustainability page.

There are a number indices used to determine and measure the type of impact of each industry. Mining is no exception. The type of mining is located at the lowest end of the scale on indices such as “Rock to Metal”; even lower than many civil engineering projects.

This is down to the fact that our mining activity entails simply moving earth and, at the end of the process, letting nature take its course again.

Our impact is minimal because we follow best practices:

1. Tolsa is a Sustainable Mining-certified company that has also been awarded the most stringent certifications and standards with regard to processes, the environment and social quality.
2. A mining phase is carried out before mining the ore, with a view to preserving the topsoil and larvae in the environment, so that the richness of the soil can be recovered in the restoration phase. This allows nature to bounce back much more quickly and continue to take its natural course.
3. Our mines are always open-pit and mining is carried out by stoping (using only the mechanical force of backhoes).
4. We do not use techniques that could damage the environment, as no explosives or chemicals are used.
5. Our minerals are dried in our mines through direct exposure to the sun, minimising the use of fossil fuels.
6. This type of extraction is much safer for both our employees and the environment.
7. At Tolsa, we employ backfilling techniques, which means that the soil we remove is reused to fill up the holes from the previous campaign. This methodology not only means that the environment recovers sooner, it also prevents the generation of spoil heaps and waste.
8. Before undertaking a project, an environmental impact study is carried out and any administrative authorisations required are sought.

Around the world, backfilling is considered the “best extraction technique available”. Backfilling is intended to minimise the area affected by extraction, while preventing spoil heaps, as most of the barren material (soil without valuable minerals) is used to fill in the holes from the previous campaign.

Nor do our processes require the use of explosives or chemical pollutants. Broadly speaking, we move earth using direct earthmoving techniques with backhoes.

Backfilling is based on excavating the mining hole in phases, rather than all at once. This means filling in holes after each stage, saving and returning the topsoil to its original location.

This leads to less land being mined at the same time, cutting down on the environmental impact in terms of space and duration. And when we leave, we let nature take its course in an environment that gives biodiversity the best chance to thrive.

To sum up, backfilling is a modern, sustainable and environmentally friendly technique.

Did you know … Our mines in Spain are split into what we refer to as ‘specific areas’ and their life cycle is of a limited duration.  Once the ore-extraction process comes to an end, we restore the land so that nature can take its natural course.

Ore extraction is ensured through cut-and-fill mining, which means that the earth extracted from a hole is used to fill a previous hole. However, the topsoil is of great environmental value and must be protected.

This topsoil encourages vegetation growth, contains more moisture than the layer immediately below and also accumulates seeds, larvae and other organisms that are essential for biodiversity.

A key part of our processes involves precisely removing this topsoil, setting it aside and returning it upon completion so that the soil remains fertile, as well as ensuring that the seeds and the indigenous larvae alike can continue their life cycle and proliferate once more.

Our mining projects always come with a natural revegetation plan, although from time to time additional protective reforestation may be required, incorporating species recommended by the competent experts in each field. This may entail seed collection and selection, or active reforestation to speed up the natural recovery process.

Should this be impossible – for example if the land is to be used for something else – we do our utmost to compensate nature and the environment by fostering restoration campaigns with a view to enriching the biodiversity of other areas in need.

A good example is our Tolsa forest. We do our bit to recover degraded spaces through our reforestation campaigns.

We work to ensure that our mining activities are of real value to the local community, not just in economic or employment terms, but also on an environmental level.

Our project in Madrid is focused on recovering an old municipal landfill in the town of Pinto. This space is gradually being recovered in close collaboration with the Áreas Verdes association and has seen participation from other companies from a wide range of industries who, like us, carry out reforestation campaigns. Tolsa has already planted 1,600 trees in this zone.

Our Project in Senegal, an area particularly affected by desertification, is another important part of our Tolsa Forest. We strive to swap sand for lush grass, which will only be possible with ongoing effort. Our “one man, one tree” campaigns call on the community to take part in reforestation campaigns. Employees, families, institutions and other companies, all working together to fight climate change.

Our clays have a certain level of impermeability, so it is not unusual for water to build up from precipitation or rainwater. Normally this build up of water is temporary, because it evaporates and is renewed during the rainy season, as its build up depends on weather conditions.

Such build ups of water are extremely common, not only in mining activities, but also in any number of earthworks projects, such as in the construction industry, and are always of a temporary nature.

This means that our activity causes no damage to water resources or aquifers; it can actually generate them precisely because of the nature of our clays, which facilitate the build up of rainwater and runoff.

Tolsa is aware that our activity can play a part in boosting biodiversity in particularly water-scarce arid areas, which is why we strive to favour this artificial process which can be used to benefit biodiversity or even to strengthen urban-development projects deemed to be of value to the community.

Nowadays, and in accordance with the regulatory framework for extraction activities, mining projects must be approached from a holistic perspective; from the exploitation of resources right through to the restoration or regeneration of the affected land. This plan must always be aligned with existing urban and land-use plans.

This means that the type of restoration to be carried out is not eligible, as it is subject to a regulatory framework with which we must comply.

Quite often, this means that the mining holes (and, as a consequence, these water build ups) must be covered up in order to restore the land to its original state and elevation.

Mining holes are artificially generated and remain an unstable and dangerous terrain, which is why they should be temporary.

However, we at Tolsa, as well as complying with regulations, strive to make a positive impact and, wherever possible, seek to ensure that our restoration projects can add differential value to the local community.

If maintained, the land must undergo special preparation and be stabilised to ensure the necessary safety conditions are met with regard to people and wildlife alike.

For this reason, the mining zones must be demarcated and duly signposted at all times. Furthermore, surveillance activities should be coordinated with administrations to prevent access thereto.

The city of Madrid is built on the world’s largest sepiolite deposits, in terms of ore quality and quantity alike. It is a place of great geological value and there is nowhere else quite like it in the world.

Tolsa has been working in Madrid for more than 30 years and, as the city has grown, so too has Tolsa. Many of our neighbourhoods have been built on former Tolsa deposits, aligning its mining activities with the city’s urban-development needs at all times.

Did you know that … the Las Rosas and Ensanche de Vallecas neighbourhoods are built over former mines?

As Madrid has grown, so has Tolsa: driving economic growth, creating employment and doing its bit to design one-of-a-kind spaces such as the Cívitas Metropolitano Stadium.

Our line of work entails getting the very best out of the land which, in turn, means changing the environment, and so we feel a great responsibility towards the land and areas in which we work. Therefore, Tolsa undertakes to minimise our environmental impact, compensating and improving the environment before, during and after our activity.

Our team of experts goes to great lengths to ensure that environmental monitoring and protection are an integral part of each and every one of our mining and industrial projects.

And to verify that this is always the case, we have been awarded the most stringent certifications in all countries in which we operate and, even if there is no legal requirement to do so, we follow our best practices as a matter of course. In this regard, as far as mining activities are concerned, European legislation is the most restrictive and stringent, and it is upon these principles that we build our company strategy.

Nevertheless, when it comes to protecting biodiversity, a distinction must be made between the legal requirement to operate and the commitment of companies that, just like Tolsa, are striving to have a positive impact on the ecosystem.

Tolsa, having been awarded the most stringent certifications and complying with regulations at all times, has also pledged a number of commitments with regard to its mining activities, such as reforestation campaigns in degraded areas or areas at high risk of desertification.

Though there is, of course, a legal obligation to return the land to its original state and elevation, Tolsa sees taking care of nature as taking care of our future.

Beyond traditional mining restoration projects, Tolsa goes to great lengths to ensure that our activity has a positive impact on the communities in which we operate. As a result, our restoration projects always strive to enrich the environment, whether by actively improving biodiversity or by facilitating an end use that responds to the community’s needs.

This decision understandably comes down to the urban-development plans drawn up by the administrations or even the owners, who sometimes lease their land to us.

It is always extremely rewarding for us to play our part in creating a unique space, whether to protect biodiversity or for urban development.

Tolsa promotes land-restoration projects that align with urban-development plans, whether as a way for administrations to cut down on costs or to give back to the local communities via green or recreational spaces.

These special projects, which Tolsa refers to as Biodiversity Promotion Projects, are not always easy to implement, as there are often a number of social agents or stakeholders involved in their design and execution.

Landowners, different administrations, environmental groups and even local residents themselves may have different interests and significantly influence decision-making and timing.

In view of the foregoing, listening to the different stakeholders in the local communities is of the utmost importance in order to ensure that our projects generate a real and lasting positive impact.

For example, we are working on a project in Cáceres to convert one of our mining sites into a strategic biodiversity enclave, thanks in part to the natural water pools present on our sites.

Such projects are carried out in close collaboration with expert environmental groups with a view to ensuring a positive impact on the ecosystem and the community.

As well as creating refuges for native fauna such as bats, birds of prey and wild boar, we are carrying out reforestation with native flora and will, as such, collect and select seeds from the area.

The land, which in this case is owned by Tolsa, will be subsequently used for conservation and protection purposes.

We are also delighted to be involved in the Madrid Metropolitan Forest project which, as well as being of great biodiversity value, will also serve as a key recreational area in the Community of Madrid, that can be enjoyed by our families, as many of our employees live locally. Seeing this ambitious project come to life will be one of Tolsa’s greatest milestones.

Therefore, as well as generating employment and wealth, our activity plays a part in adapting these terrains to urban-development plans, whether by cutting down on costs for administrations and landowners or by fostering improvement projects that have a positive impact on community development.

Did you know that … Madrid’s Cívitas Metropolitano stadium was built on one of our mines? Tolsa played a part in this project, as our activities helped to get the land ready to build the stadium’s foundations, significantly cutting down on the project’s costs. This unique stadium is used by thousands almost every week who are likely unaware that it is was built over a former sepiolite mine.

A large number of great archaeological and palaeontological finds have been discovered thanks to mining activities.

Finding archaeological or palaeontological remains, even if it means bringing our activity to a temporary halt, can also shed light on a piece of our history and generate a different kind of wealth – sometimes equally or even more valuable than our minerals.

As mining companies, we are the first line of defence when it comes to protecting this historical and cultural heritage.

In the event of a potential archaeological find, companies have an obligation to notify the competent authorities. However, from time to time, lack of knowledge or simply a lack of visibility due to mechanical processes can lead to unintentional destruction.

In view of the foregoing, Tolsa delivers yearly training to our internal and external teams on how to identify remains that may have scientific value, whether they are vestiges of ancient civilisations or palaeontological remains.

Furthermore, we have an internal procedure to be followed with a view to acting diligently in the case of malpractice by our teams, whether employees or subcontractors.  We have also put in place an anonymous internal whistleblowing channel called the Integrity Channel.

Tolsa fosters the protection of historical heritage and science because only if we understand our past can we move forward to a brighter future.

Tolsa is well aware of the ever-changing needs of the industries in which we operate. From the outset, we have worked in the knowledge that, 65 years down the line, we would not be doing the same thing or in the same way.

The Tolsa brand has always been synonymous with Innovative Capability, Global Vision and Conscious Awareness. It is these specific values that have always driven us to discover more applications and products; to expand into more countries with better and more recognised brands; and to integrate the principles of sustainable growth in each and every one of our actions.

Our major projects include investment in technology and energy efficiency, vital when it comes to reducing the carbon footprint of our activity.

However, the efficient management of water resources (rainwater harvesting and consumed water recycling) are also crucial – not to mention rolling out circular economy measures for our waste such as fines and tailings, but also for the use of residual raw materials from other industries.

We also strive for excellence in terms of governance, as well as to forge lasting alliances with institutions, private companies and the communities in which Tolsa operates, with a view to promoting socio-economic development programmes.

Investment in technology and clean energy is key to achieving this, but it is also of the utmost importance that we involve communities in the benefits of their restoration projects. There is no shortage of incredible examples of mining sites all over the world that have become benchmarks for how mining can support biodiversity.

Energy improvement is ever-present in our growth strategy.

As a global company, our strategy incorporates the pursuit of energy efficiency in each and every one of our operations. Our goal is to ensure a positive impact by monitoring and improving our direct and indirect environmental footprint.

It is our responsibility, as a company, but also as individuals, to look into new ways for society to continue evolving in the right direction. This is precisely what our motto “Breaking new paths” means.

How do we improve our direct environmental impact?

• We have incorporated airing techniques into our processes to minimise the use of artificial energy.
• Assessment and implementation of new energy sources (photovoltaic and hydrogen).
• Reduced consumption.
• Electric and lithium battery-powered machinery.
• Investment in more efficient equipment and facilities.
• Digitisation and automation processes.
• Employee training and awareness-raising.
• Implementation of circular economy principles through recycling and recovery of the waste generated by our activity.

How do we improve our indirect environmental impact?

• Choosing more sustainable providers.
• Installing electric-vehicle charging points while promoting sustainable public and private transport.
• Multimodal transportation for our logistics processes.
• Joint ventures with suppliers and companies.
• Assessment of alternative raw materials such as the reuse of waste from other industries.
• Partnerships for sustainability (Global Compact).
• Incorporation of eco-design concepts into our new product creation processes.

All our mines are different and have their own specific characteristics, however, broadly speaking, they have many things in common.

Before getting down to work, operating rights or concessions must be sought, and all legal requirements must be met, such as a favourable environmental impact assessment.

These requirements may differ from one country to the next but, as a general rule, Tolsa complies with the most stringent European standards to ensure that all its operations comply with the law and taking into account the economic, social and environmental impacts thereof.

We go to great lengths to guarantee a positive impact on society and the local communities in which we operate. That is why we strive to forge a relationship that is beneficial to all parties, such as landowners and the local community.

Much of this land is agricultural land normally owned by small farmers, however, from time to time, these may be located in more urban areas.

We do our bit to align the land with urban-development plans, either by cutting down on costs for administrations and landowners, or even by fostering unique projects that substantially improve biodiversity or that will subsequently be transformed into recreational areas for the benefit of local residents.

Each of our mining operations is a world unto itself (depending on the geomorphology of the terrain, the depth of the ore and its strength), but, broadly speaking, our mining processes are very similar.

1. Exploration:
Our mining development department is always on the lookout for and researching new deposits and raw materials that could lead to the development of new applications and lines of business, or simply renew our reserves.

2. Testing:
The exploration phase is when the quality, quantity and depth of the ore is determined. We do this by drilling boreholes with a view to creating our very own “geological map”. As well as determining whether a deposit is profitable, this information is used to plan how each ore type is to be used in line with market demand.

3. Clearance:
Tolsa is committed to the environment and biodiversity. When we launch a mining project, we always remove and preserve the topsoil from the surface, with a view to replacing it once excavation is complete. This is to ensure that the larvae and seeds in the area can take their course and that the land stays fertile and rich in biodiversity.

4. Stoping:
We carry out “cut-and-fill mining”, meaning that our operations are of a temporary nature and take place in specific areas. Minerals are extracted through stoping, using heavy-duty backhoes. The raw ore is transported by truck to the mill.

We use drones to monitor our mines, which, as well as being used for surveillance, give us a reliable insight into how our mines are progressing while monitoring ore stockpiles.

5. Crushing and milling:
The extracted ore is milled in our primary mills, breaking it down into manageable sizes suitable for handling and transportation.

6. Drying: Have you ever seen a field full of stones?
We follow an environmentally friendly process and strive to minimise the use of energy at all times. For this reason, we plan our campaigns to ensure that we can naturally dry our minerals using the airing technique (direct exposure to the sun).

7. Transportation
Once dry enough, the ore is sent to the production centres. Much of the raw material is prepared for processing in primary plants located close to the mines. From there, it is sent to other group subsidiaries that oversee secondary processing, where our precious stones will end up being used in 250 different applications.

8. Restoration:
Once the entire mining process has come to an end, as well as restoring the land and letting nature take its course, we foster reforestation in deteriorated or desertified sites in accordance with the needs of the local communities in which we operate.

From time to time, restoration plans can be adapted with a view to being integrated into larger biodiversity enhancement projects or to create recreational spaces for local residents. There is nothing Tolsa loves more than being part of one-of-a-kind projects that have a positive impact on the local community.