Sustainability Report - Antofagasta PLC

58
Antofagasta plc Sustainability Report 2011
Environmental Performance
Hazardous and non-hazardous waste
Our processing operations create hazardous industrial waste that we must
manage carefully such as used oils, rags and batteries. We hold this
hazardous waste in compliance with regulations on site until it is removed
and disposed of by authorised contractors. In Los Pelambres, we reuse oil
as a raw material for the preparation of explosives used in the blasting
process. Our other mining companies send their used oils to cement
companies to be incinerated as an alternative fuel in energy co-generation.
In 2011, Los Pelambres launched a new hazardous waste management
plan to improve the storage, freight and disposal of hazardous waste.
The mining companies aim to reduce the amount of industrial waste they
produce, including scrap metal, wood, cardboard and domestic waste such
as food from cafeterias at mine camps. Non-hazardous waste is recycled
where possible.
Recycling
All the companies improved their recycling rates in 2011 through a variety of
approaches including expanding composting plants and improving systems
for classifying and separating waste. The main wastes recycled are oil
(reused in the blasting process or sent to cement factories), food waste from
cafeterias (composted), metal (sold as scrap) and wood (donated to the local
community).
For the second consecutive year, Los Pelambres nearly doubled its recycling
rate. It plans to construct a waste separation system in 2012 to further
improve this figure. In 2011 Esperanza launched a new integrated waste
management plan, known as R3, to help it to reduce, reuse and recycle
more waste. The R3 plan includes separating waste streams at source, and
running education campaigns to encourage workers to recycle more often.
In 2011, 25% of all waste generated was recycled and reused.
Recycling rates* (tonnes recycled per total waste generated)
Los Pelambres
Esperanza**
El Tesoro
Michilla
2011
0.70
0.05
0.73
0.62
2010
0.43
Between 0.1 and 0.5**
0.48
0.60
* Includes domestic waste and hazardous and non-hazardous industrial waste.
** Data is estimated based on information supplied by contractors.
2009
0.25
Between 0.1 and 0.5**
0.39
0.56