With our innovative approach, we are increasing our use of recycled materials and reducing our environmental impact.
Electrolux will make better use of resources by using more recycled materials, and helping to promote the market for recycling.
As the global middle class more than doubles in size by 2030, the demand for goods and services will increase together with the use of material resources. For Electrolux, this means we can expect the price of materials such as steel, plastic and electronic components to become more volatile.
This is another area where sustainability and the Group’s cost-efficiency objectives go hand in hand. One of our most important materials is plastic, as it is fundamental for the design of affordable, durable appliances. In 2016, the amount of recycled plastic increased to 7,400 tonnes, an increase by more than 1,000 tonnes compared to 2015, and nearly doubling the amount in 2014.
CO2 emissions resulting from the production of the plastic we use are equivalent to the emissions from our operations and transport activities combined. This means we can make a significant contribution to reducing resource use and tackling climate change by increasing the amount of safe, high-quality recycled plastic in our products.
Steel is the largest material we use by volumes, and is a significant source of CO2 emissions. By shifting our supply from steel made from iron ore to scrap-based steel, we can make a significant reduction in our CO2 footprint from materials. We have already begun this shift toward using scrap-based steel in North America, which has already reduced our steel carbon footprint considerably. The next step will be to identify sources of scrap-based steel in the other sectors.
We have a Recycling Taskforce in place with representatives from each business sector, purchasing, R&D, production and product lines to define this promise’s scope, targets and action points.