The UN introduced World Environment Day in 1973. Led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and held annually on 5 June, the day is celebrated by millions around the world. But 50 years on, the need for urgent action to protect our planet has never been more pressing.
The theme for World Environment Day 2023 is all about reducing plastic pollution. It’s a global challenge, with an estimated 400 million tonnes of plastic waste discarded every year. And while we are not direct producers of plastic, we are industrial consumers of it - but we’re taking action to address that.
“We want to be seen as leaders in material stewardship, managing all materials, including those currently viewed as waste, for the long-term benefit of our stakeholders,” says Casilda Malagon, Materials Stewardship Specialist and one of the team behind the Zero Waste to Landfill programme (ZWTL). The programme was inspired by actions undertaken in our PGMs business and is currently being introduced across the business.
Since December 2020, the PGMs team has been sending zero non-mineral waste to landfill. With the help of waste specialists, and over a period of seven years, they demonstrated that by treating waste as a resource rather than sending it to landfill, it can be re-used or recycled and reintroduced into the value chain.
Their initiatives included the introduction of a biodigester that breaks down food and gardening waste, turning it into usable gas; the setting up of a community furniture business using old pallets; and investment in a number of community recycling projects. The benefits have been significant, both in terms of the environment and economically, for the company and our communities.
Dustin Van Helsdingen, who was ZW2L Project Lead for PGMs, comments: “Three years after reaching our target, we have learnt many valuable lessons and we continue to look for new ways to prevent the introduction of waste into the business, to improve sorting of waste at source, and to make the most of what we can’t avoid producing through reuse and recycling.”
