Non mineral waste

Non mineral waste includes materials that are used in mining and processing such as tyres, oils, refractory lining, ash and domestic rubbish.

We always try to reduce waste generation or re-use and recycle these materials. But sometimes recycling is not an option. So then we burn, store or dispose of the waste in engineered landfills in an environmentally responsible way and always in accordance with local regulations.

How we treat non mineral waste

Many of our businesses have efficiency targets for non-mineral wastes that are based on our Non-Mineral Waste Standard.  This covers both the non-mineral wastes that we generate as well as those we receive at the operation to dispose of or manage on behalf of others.

This standard has helped us to better understand what wastes we generate and the best ways to reduce them and determine the environmental hazards and risks in their safe handling, treatment and disposal.  We insist that disposal is only carried out in engineered and approved facilities and use technologies, processes and disposal contractors approved by local regulators and that meet our defined criteria in terms of health, safety and environmental performance.

In addition, we have put in place transport strategies to ensure that all non mineral waste is handled safely on route to offsite recycling or disposal facilities.

Our results

• We produced 321,000 tonnes of non mineral waste which was four per cent greater than in 2005.  The majority of this increase was due to the ramp up of production at HIsmelt® during 2006.
• Aluminium smelters are significant contributors to our non mineral waste generation. These operations generate specialist wastes produced through the smelting process, including spent cell lining, bath, carbon fines and refractory bricks. In addition, our largest copper producer disposes of significant quantities of non mineral wastes to landfill and other disposal locations.
• Sixty five per cent of our non mineral waste was generated by ten operations in 2006. 
• Thirty six per cent of the non mineral waste was recycled or reused, an increase of 24 per cent of the material recycled compared with 2005.
• Sixty one per cent of all non mineral waste disposed of was dealt with on site. 
• Of the non mineral waste disposed off site in 2006, 95 per cent was placed in landfills.

• Our operations generated 62,000 tonnes of hazardous non mineral waste in 2006, a decrease of 26 per cent compared to 2005.  The significant decrease was predominantly attributed to once-off site clean ups of hazardous materials in 2005, which will not be repeated in 2006.
• Seventy one per cent of the hazardous non mineral waste generated was from aluminium smelters.  Compared with 2005, there has been a three per cent increase in the generation of hazardous waste per tonne of product at aluminium smelters.
• At the end of 2006, 45 per cent of hazardous waste generated during the year was placed in storage pending final disposal or recycle/re-use.  Thirty two per cent of hazardous non mineral waste generated in 2006 was recycled or re-used, an increase of 60 per cent compared to 2005.
• We require our operations to establish procedures to inspect and monitor off site disposal locations.  In 2006, 234 locations were used for off site disposal of hazardous waste.  At 59 locations (25 per cent of businesses) audits were undertaken of the hazardous waste facilities in 2006.