Creating value through optimizing material use and minimizing waste
Steel, copper, aluminum, oil and plastics make up the majority of our products. Most of these materials are reclaimable at the end of a product’s life and we also ‘design to recycle’, meaning that most products can be dismantled easily and come with recycling instructions.
Other materials, such as wood, paper and cardboard from packaging materials, waste oil and electronic equipment pose a waste issue. We continuously look to optimize procurement of recyclable materials, as well as reduce the amount of waste that has to be sent for final disposal.
ABB’s Sustainability Objectives 2014 – 2020 commit us to reduce the amount of waste sent to final disposal – both hazardous and non-hazardous – by 20 percent by 2020. This will be measured as the proportion of total waste sent for final disposal and compared with a 2013 baseline.
Across the world, our facilities take it upon themselves to innovate, recycling to address waste reduction. Many sites have conducted detailed on-site analyses and work with their waste management vendors to optimize recycling options. Revenues realized from a range of waste streams along with the reduced costs of waste disposal reinforce these efforts within our businesses.