Our various waste streams are handled responsibly and the ‘reduce, re-use and recycle’ principle is applied wherever possible.
Waste at Isibonelo colliery is separated before it is taken away for recycling When it comes to mineral waste, our primary focus is ensuring that the waste we generate has the least possible impact on people and the environment.
Our sites are expected to continually explore more effective ways of extracting ore, with clear production-improvement and waste-reduction benefits. When reduction opportunities are either exhausted or are not feasible, operations are required to investigate the re-use of by-products.
Some existing initiatives to find new uses include Polokwane Metallurgical Centre’s research related to the potential uses of the slag generated by extracting platinum ores, which has resulted in the slag being used in innovative mining and building products.
Our Emalahleni water reclamation plant aims to become a zero-waste disposal facility by using the 100 tonnes of gypsum by-product it produces a day. It is engaged in studies to explore the conversion of waste gypsum into sulphur, limestone and magnesite, as well as the fabrication of mining and building products. In our Platinum business, rock dumps are used as aggregate for road construction once processed.
Hazardous waste
The disposal of hazardous waste is heavily regulated and well-managed at operations and the receiving waste facilities. These processes are subject to regular ISO 14001 environmental management system audits.
Non-mineral waste
In 2007, we started a process of studying non-mineral waste streams in more detail, segregating them, and setting reduction targets. Although our operations are at varying levels of maturity, most have achieved these targets. During 2009, Kumba Iron Ore’s Sishen mine recycled 70% of its non-mineral waste and Anglo Platinum recycled 24,000 tonnes of scrap metal and steel as well as 900,000 tonnes of glass, paper and plastic.