Product stewardship
Product stewardship is about understanding the health and environmental impacts of our products across their life cycles; threats and opportunities in the market place; and the importance of engagement with key stakeholders. Producers have individual and shared responsibilities - with other stakeholders such as users - to ensure that products are managed safely at each point of their life cycles.
In other words, we oversee the safe production, use, recycling and disposal of our metal and minerals as society continues to need them. We aim to go beyond existing regulations, and help to formulate best stewardship practice based on sound science.
We take a strategic approach to the implementation of product stewardship, in the form of our product stewardship strategy. Its key elements are:
- integration of product stewardship into business decision making;
- securing market access and a competitive advantage;
- communicating product safety, health and environmental data; and
- engaging with others to create opportunities and enhance reputation.
We aim to be industry leader in product stewardship. Our reputation is improving our access to markets and our licence to operate. We strive for the sustainable production and use of all our products, which makes product stewardship an essential part of our commitment to sustainable development.
- Market support
- Life cycle
- Engagement
- Results
Good relationships with customers and consumers are vital to our ongoing access to markets. We base these relationships on transparency, trust and the exchange of information.
For instance, we have combined our sustainability agenda with Wal-Mart's - the world's largest retailer - to promote a new range of responsibly produced jewellery as part of their Love, Earth® product line, using our gold, silver and diamonds.
We support the market by ensuring the appropriate use of our products, and minimising any environmental, health or safety impacts. By providing information about recovery and recycling, we can influence how materials are handled upon disposal.
We also actively participate in not for profit organisations such as the Responsible Jewellery Council, of which we are a founding member. RJC Members are committed to promoting responsible ethical, human rights, social and environmental practices in a transparent and accountable manner throughout the industry from mine to retail.
International frameworks can influence market access for our products. We therefore work closely with all stakeholders (including governments, associations, customers and non government organisations) to ensure we are constructively involved in new regulatory developments, such as REACH and GHS. We support the market during these periods of change, to maintain regulatory compliance and market access.
Our product stewardship programmes give us the tools to identify and manage the environmental, safety and health needs of the market. They give us insight into the use of our products, and help strengthen our customer/client relationships.
Closure as a component of mine life planning
- Closing a mine does not simply mean shutting down production, rehabilitating the land and walking away. People's livelihoods can be affected, as can the social and environmental programmes established during the life of the mine.
- See all "Our approach" features
