Reporting on performance 

Amount of waste generated at our locations 

68 locations comprising 11 140 employees have reported generated waste in 2014. The amount of waste generated at the reporting locations in 2014 was 2 433.1 tonnes. Locations that did not report waste in 2014 reported 4.5 tonnes waste for 2013. 922.9 tonnes were reported by locations that reported for the first time for 2014.  For the locations reporting both for 2013 and 2014, generated waste increased by 53 % compared to 2013. Most of this significant increase is related to reported metal waste from the Power TIC laboratories in Chalfont and Arnhem where the process for reporting waste has been improved. This metal waste is from clients’ equipment that has been burnt up or exploded during testing. 

Specific waste generation for all the reporting locations increased to 218 kg per person in 2014 up 54% from 142 kg per person in 2013. This is partly due - to the increase in reported metal waste, - to the waste intensive testing and laboratory activities at several of the locations reporting waste for the first time in 2014, and – to the removal of 165 m3 of contaminated soil calculated to 287.7 tonnes. Hazardous waste increased to 326.7 tonnes in 2014 from 22.2 tonnes in 2013. This significant increase in hazardous waste of 1370 % is mainly due to the contaminated soil resulting from the uncontrolled release of oil at Groningen. 

Hazardous waste is disposed of by authorized handlers. The disposal method varies for types of substances and also by country. Some hazardous waste is cleaned on site and reused, some is recycled by waste handlers and for some the disposal method is unknown. For 99,3% of the waste the disposal method determination is based on information provided by the waste disposal contractors.

The waste management plan implemented for the centre at Høvik in 2013, that aimed to improve the waste handling to apply the most sustainable disposal methods, has resulted in  reaching the goal of increasing level of paper recycled by 100 % instead of combustion.