Our processes generate a range of nonhazardous materials as well as hazardous / special wastes including solvents, chemicals, oils, biological waste, electronic equipment and radioactive materials. Where possible, we seek to recycle these materials and where disposal is necessary we comply with local regulations.

Due to greater recycling the total amount of non-hazardous waste has decreased despite an increase in production. We have improved the proportion of non-hazardous waste recycled from 13% in 1999 to 30% in 2001. In 2001 we recycled more than 1,000 tonnes of paper and cardboard and more than 1,000 tonnes of glass, wood, plastic and metal. During the year, we also shipped more than 1,800 tonnes of material to a company in Japan where iodine is recovered for reuse in our processes. Additionally, in Sweden we sent more than 4,000 tonnes of a material to a company which uses it for biogas production.

The handling and packaging of radioactive materials often requires the use of lead for shielding. Almost all of our manufacturing sites that handle radioactive materials recycle or reuse lead.

Example projects

• Cork in Ireland set up a new waste management/segregation system that increased recycling from 6% in 1999 to 53% in 2001.
  
  
• Gloucester in the UK asked all managers to set a waste minimisation objective to help the site meet a target of a 10% reduction in waste by the end of 2002.
  
  
• Oslo in Norway and Piscataway in the US provided training to raise awareness of waste issues, and increased recycling to 28% and 43% respectively in 2001.
  
  
• Umeå in Sweden and Princeton in the US recycled over half their waste.