The environment: reducing our ecological footprint
Bekaert is committed to an ongoing process of reducing the ecological footprint left by its products and production processes. We strive for rational usage of raw materials and energy and seek in particular to develop products and services which will contribute to a cleaner and safer world. Our aim is not just to respect laws and regulations but to anticipate them.
Bekaert is in the process of implementing a uniform environment, health and safety policy worldwide, under which the prescribed procedures and guidelines are the same everywhere.
Anticipating regulations, not just complying
Against the background of increasingly rigorous environmental regulations, Bekaert strives for proactive compliance with the most demanding rules at all its locations.
Among other initiatives, Bekaert took the engagement to have all its plants' environmental care systems audited and certified according to the ISO14001 standard. In each continent where Bekaert is active, several plants already obtained this certificate.
Rational use of raw materials and energy is a priority
Our programs to reduce raw material usage, energy consumption and waste not only protect the environment but are also an integral element in our striving for operational excellence.
The EH&S team conducted an internal benchmarking study which compared emissions and water pollution levels at all our plants and measured energy, water and raw material usage for each finished product. This international benchmarking is a key element of our Total Environmental Care management system and acts as a stimulus to do still better.
Our waste reduction efforts are based on the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), which evaluates the impact on the environment of a standard Bekaert plant. In this context, we investigate to what extent we can reuse water and whether waste can be recycled into useful raw materials or into a product with a high calorific value from which energy can be generated. We are also focusing closely on reducing energy usage in our production processes around the world.
The effort we invested in reducing our environmental impact did not go unnoticed by Chinese government agencies. Bekaert plants in the provinces of Jiangsu and Liaoning were accorded the Green Enterprise award, the highest award for environmental protection at the provincial level. Our plant in Weihai (Shandong province) also received special recognition from the local government as an Excellent Enterprise in Environmental Protection.
In Belgium, by signing up to the Benchmarking Covenant, Bekaert has given the government of Flanders an undertaking that it will strive to achieve the highest levels of energy efficiency in the world.
Investing in the development of environment-friendly products
Bekaert strives to reduce its ecological footprint not only by optimizing production processes and materials, but also by actively investigating products that contribute to a better environment.
Our super-fine metal fibers (as used in gas burners, for instance) offer exceptionally efficient combustion and low NOx and carbon emissions. Our enclosed flare burners (used for burning off excess gas at oilfields and in factories) significantly reduce carbon emissions and reduce CO2 emissions to 10% of current levels. These burners are becoming the norm in areas with stringent regulations, such as California, Texas and the Netherlands.
We are also developing metal fibers for filtering extremely fine particulates from diesel truck exhausts, an approach which has many advantages over ceramic filters.