As a logistics service provider, BLG LOGISTICS produces waste through the transportation and storage of goods. In order to reduce the resulting impact on the environment, we are continuously improving our waste management with a particular focus on waste disposal processes by measuring and managing recyclables and waste volumes. We have also formulated this commitment, which is based on the waste hierarchy of the German Closed Substance Cycle Waste Management Act (Kreislaufwirtschaftsgesetz – KrWG), in our environmental and energy policy: We assume responsibility for the environmentally compatible use of resources and set ourselves realistic targets, in particular for the avoidance, reuse or recycling of recyclable materials and waste.
Our environmental management system has been certified in accordance with EN ISO 14001 for ten years now – in the meantime at all German auto terminals and transport centers in our AUTOMOBILE Division as well as at 13 CONTRACT logistics locations. Two more are to follow in 2024. The management system sets the guidelines for processes, responsibilities and, not least, implementation of environmental protection requirements, including those relating to waste management.
Five levels of the waste hierarchy according to the Closed Substance Cycle Waste Management Act (KrWG)
We defined an initial concrete target in the reporting year: to achieve an annual segregated waste collection rate of 90 percent or higher from 2024. In addition, we are looking at waste-related transports and ways of reducing them.
Targeted collection, targeted improvement
Our sites are responsible for the legally compliant separation, collection and disposal of recyclable materials and waste and to this end work with mostly certified waste management companies that have specialized in recycling, energy recovery and waste disposal. A large proportion of the waste generated results from our customers’ business activities – for example, if goods are delivered to us packaged, we are responsible for disposing of the packaging. At 20 percent of our 50 locations, waste disposal is entirely in the hands of the customer: They specify and organize the disposal channels.
In our own area of responsibility, we centrally and uniformly document all quantities and types of waste generated. Responsibility for documenting waste management lies with the Integrated Management Systems department. It is supported by the central Safety and Environmental Protection department in close collaboration with the locations and Quality Management of the AUTOMOBILE and CONTRACT Divisions. The individual sites for example train their own environmental management coordinators, who are responsible for capturing the data and also act as contact persons for the employees. In addition to the provisions of the German Commercial Waste Ordinance (Gewerbeabfallverordnung – GewAbfV), this is based on a management system module that our employees can access at any time and that explains the processes and responsibilities. We were able to integrate all locations for which we are responsible into the data capture process in the reporting year. This was also achieved retrospectively for the previous year, after we were initially only able to report 80 percent in the 2022 Sustainability Report – we have adjusted the data accordingly. The established, standardized procedure and the associated documentation enables us to not only meet our own standards in this area, but also the growing demands placed on us by our customers and lenders in this regard.
Overall, we were able to reduce our waste volume by around 6 percent compared with the previous year to 17,751 metric tons. The volumes fell across all waste fractions with the exception of metal and other separately collected waste. Paper, paperboard and cardboard, as well as wood remain the proportionally largest fractions. In the reporting year, we achieved a segregated collection rate of 88 percent, which was a slight increase over the previous year. We aim to further increase this figure in line with our new target.
Percentage breakdown of generated waste in 2023
Hazardous waste again accounted for as little as 4 percent of the total waste volume in 2023. Indeed, in absolute terms, the volume was almost 13 percent lower than in 2022. Most of our hazardous waste is machine, gear and lubricating oils, absorbent and filter materials, and rechargeable batteries. Protecting people and the environment is our top priority, in particular when dealing with these waste materials.
Percentage breakdown of non-hazardous waste in 2023
Customized solutions from recycling to reduction
Many of our sites already have measures in place to either reduce waste or improve reuse and recycling. One example is the reuse of Styrofoam packaging, which we receive as protection for products or components that we further process for our customers. Rather than disposing of this material after unpacking, we compact it on site and remarket it. We also compact wood waste at a number of locations, enabling us to reduce the number of transports to the disposal site as well as the corresponding emissions.
Waste management was factored in from the outset when designing C3 Bremen, where it meets the requirements of the WELL standard. By providing labeled trash containers directly at source, we make it as easy as possible for our employees to separate waste correctly. As far as possible, we avoid the use of plastic trash sacks. The disposal concept provides for the separate collection of paper, paperboard and cardboard packaging, foil packaging, mixed residual waste and wood in color-coded large containers. Even in the washrooms we provide separate bins for used paper towels, which are returned to our suppliers’ plants for recycling.