Circular economy in our own operations
In our own operations, we are constantly improving our processes by increasing resource efficiency. We aim at maximizing the use of renewable and recycled raw materials in our technology offering by closing cycles in production processes, cascading the use of production sidestreams and reducing waste.
We implement the circular economy in our everyday operations by continuously improving our performance in several circularity-related areas.
In order to improve the resource efficiency of our own production operations, we carry out energy audits regularly, we comply with quality and environmental standards, and we apply LEAN principles.
An important part of the circularity work at Valmet is our take back, exchange and reconditioning programs. Our global network of workshop services recondition everyday rolls, feeders, shafts and screens, extending the lifecycle for our customers. We also have exchange programs, for example, where winder units are rebuilt and upgraded. In addition, about 1,300 tonnes of refiner segments and 3,000 winder slitters are taken back for recycling each year. We are exploring extending the take back offering to other products.
All Valmet foundries have targets for the use of recycled metal. In 2022, the share of recycled steel and iron in Valmet’s foundries was 68 percent. We are also exploring the increased use of recycled polymers in fabrics production.
We also cascade fabrics production sidestreams for reuse in other industries. For example, production scraps are used as raw material in shoe production, bag making and furniture parts, as well as new felt raw materials.
All our operations work to increase waste recycling and reuse. For example, 10,600 tonnes of foundry sand are reused by partners in road construction and land stabilization, and the wood waste of our Helsinki plant is reused to make chipboard for furniture. Our operations in Spain develops a safety glove reuse program with the aim of reducing glove waste by 80 percent. We are also working to increase the use of renewable materials in the packaging of our products. Almost 100% of Valmet-supplied paper machines and power boilers can be recycled.
By sharing our laboratory and piloting facilities with our customers we decrease the need for them to set up they own facilities. We also strive to prolong the lifetime of our production equipment. Preventive maintenance is an important tool in this.
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