Ongoing developments in waste handling bring results
Dust and scale collected from stainless steel manufacturing operations are considered by Outokumpu to be significant waste streams. Wherever practicable, these waste materials are collected and recycled to recover the valuable alloying elements they contain – these include nickel, chromium and molybdenum. Where necessary, specialist recovery techniques are employed such as the Group's DC arc furnace at the melt shop in Sheffield or external treatment facilities operated by other companies. The total quantity of dusts and scale collected and treated by Outokumpu in 2009 was 47 000 tonnes.
Wastes from Outokumpu production units are sent to appropriate treatment facilities or to landfill sites licensed to accept such materials. Both hazardous and non-hazardous wastes are involved, and pre-treatment of the waste material is completed when this required. Hazardous wastes (oily wastes and hydroxide sludge) generated by the Group's operations in 2009 totalled 44 351 tonnes. All hazardous wastes are treated, reused or disposed of in accordance with current legislation and best practices.
Outokumpu owns and manages landfill sites at some production sites in Finland, Sweden and the UK. In Tornio a new 5 hectare landfill site for hazardous waste has been prepared, but an older one is still in use. The closure process has been initiated with completion scheduled in 2012. Both landfill sites fulfil all high requirements and standards set by European legislation.
Material efficiency a cornerstone of our strategy.
As material efficiency is a cornerstone of Outokumpu strategy, an investigation of waste material flow at Tornio Works has been launched. The aim is to establish the most cost effective ways of recycling, reusing, treating or disposing of waste materials and minimising the amounts produced by the Group.
A good example of the results emerging from this project is the sludge produced by water treatment in the Group's ferrochrome plant. Previously, this was disposed of as landfill. Technical investigations revealed that the material's properties make it a very effective barrier to water flow. Results obtained from an experimental installation carried out at a landfill site in the City of Oulu in Northern Finland were very promising, and the material is now employed in Outokumpu's own landfill area, with approximately 100 000 tonnes of ferrochrome water treatment sludge being used as a mineral sealing layer in the surface structure. The Group's ultimate target is zero waste production plants.
At Outokumpu sites Richburg and New Castle in the US continued a waste programme that has reduced the monthly tonnage of waste produced. The broad spectrum action plan includes cardboard recycling, sending shot blast grits and baghouse dust to recycling, the recycling of cardboard and office paper, and chipping of waste wood to produce mulch.