Waste management

[GRI 306-1, 306-2, 306-3; ESRS E2-2, E2-4, E2-5, E5-2, E5-5]

Lenzing uses licensed contractors to dispose of waste. Audits of these service providers are conducted in site-defined intervals. Any contractor found to be non-compliant has its contract terminated. There were no such cases in 2022.

Similar to other environmental issues, Lenzing identifies the generation of waste from a life cycle perspective and extends the assessment of impacts up and down the value chain. In 2021, Lenzin standardized its approach to environmental aspects and impact assessment in accordance with ISO 14001. This standardized approach was aligned across all sites in 2022 and has to be fully implemented by 2023.

Waste is categorized in line with national legislation. In Europe, the end-of-waste criteria defined under the Waste Framework Directive may be applied to certain waste streams resulting in the de-classification of those waste streams when criteria are met. There may also be long delays in obtaining the related data and information when an external party, such as an authorized waste management company, determines the management option of a waste stream. All these factors may result in significant fluctuations in waste reporting from year to year.

Waste Management Guideline

Within Lenzing, waste management is set out in its internal Waste Management Guideline, which was launched in 2018. The guideline was further developed in 2021 and updated in 2022, which resulted in a full consolidation of Group waste data. It is an integral part of Lenzing’s environmental management system. Activities relating to waste management – e.g. the collection, separation, storage, transportation, and treatment of waste – are planned and implemented based on possible utilization as well as an understanding of their environmental impact and risks.

Further details on waste management are set out in the site waste management systems, which also concern external service providers. The company’s approach to waste management uses a management hierarchy as its guiding principle. This means that Lenzing plans and prioritizes waste management as follows:

1. Prevention and reduction
2. Reuse and recycling
3. Energy recovery
4. Landfill

Wherever possible, waste is avoided or reduced, e.g. by modifying processes to increase material efficiency or by adopting good housekeeping and operational practices. Recyclable components of waste are separated. Unrecyclable components are disposed of in accordance with local legislation. Wherever possible Lenzing recovers energy from unrecyclable components in facilities such as incinerators. Landfilling of waste is subject to strict national regulations. Hazardous waste is either treated or disposed of in accordance with the applicable regulations. An overview of waste generation, broken down by disposal method and waste type, is shown in table “Waste by type and disposal method”.