18th March 2022 is Global Recycling Day. A day to help recognise and celebrate the importance recycling plays in preserving our precious primary resources and securing the future of our planet.
Every year, the Earth yields billions of tons of natural resources and, at some point, in the not-too-distant future, it will run out. That’s why we must think about what we throw away – seeing not waste but opportunity. Recycling is a key part of the circular economy, helping to protect our natural resources. Each year the ‘Seventh Resource’ (recyclables) saves over 700 million tonnes in CO2 emissions, and this is projected to increase to 1 billion tons by 2030.
At Chemring, improving our sustainability performance plays a key role in the way we both run our businesses today and plan for the future as we manage our environmental, social and governance (“ESG”)-related risks.
Our environmental goals are:
• to be carbon neutral by 2030
• to work towards being a net-zero organisation by 2050 and being committed to supporting our value chain in this aim to reduce our total direct and indirect greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions year on year
• to continue to focus our efforts on reducing energy consumption and on embracing green technology
• to target zero waste to landfill by 2030
Current initiatives
Here are some of the current initiatives underway across Chemring to help us meet our recycling targets.
Recycling water in Norway
Chemring Nobel invested in a new, onsite wastewater treatment facility. The facility processes around 3,000m3 of water per week. After being treated and tested, it is then released into the fjord, approximately 120m out and 52m deep on the seabed.
More energy, less waste in Scotland
Chemring Energetics UK (CEUK) segregates all food waste generated in the kitchens and canteens throughout the site so that it can be converted in a sustainable way through anaerobic digestion. In 2020, food waste segregated from general collection by CEUK totalled 4.79 tonnes. Instead of ending up in landfill, this food waste is processed in a composting facility and used to generate green energy, which is exported to the National Grid or bottled to be sold. The remaining material (digestate) is rich in nutrients so that it can be used as a soil additive by local agriculture.
Rainwater collection at Chemring Australia
The Chemring Australia facility in Lara, Victoria is not connected to mains water. Therefore, to reduce their environmental impact, the Lara team collects and utilises rainwater onsite in preference to trucking water onto the site. Nearly all buildings on site have water tanks adjacent to the building. There are one or two water tanks per building, depending upon the size of the roof. These tanks are typically 10–20 thousand litre capacity and there are approximately 20 tanks throughout the site. When full, the tanks hold circa 400,000 litres of water which is then used onsite.
Community recycling in Tennessee
Chemring Countermeasures USA (CCM USA) in Tennessee is the largest employer in its local community, Toone. As such, the team works closely with the local school and college on recycling and educational initiatives. The CCM USA team handles the recycling and garbage collection for the local school to promote recycling and save the school money.