Non-hazardous waste

 

Non-hazardous wastes reported include mixed or household waste, packaging waste, compostable waste, and inert waste.

Total amounts of non-hazardous waste not recycled in 2008 were 40kt (down from 42kt in 2007); an additional 30kt were collected materials being recycled. Of the non-hazardous waste not being recycled, disposal routes are treatment (45%), incineration (27%), and disposal in landfills (28%).

 

Non-hazardous waste targets and outlook

Keeping non-hazardous wastes to a minimum and recycling as much as possible is a constant challenge. Novartis makes ongoing efforts in all areas to minimize non-hazardous waste that cannot be recycled at its operations globally. We are installing waste segregation programs at many sites that allow better use of recycling routes for materials such as paper, cardboard, glass and plastics – for example from packaging, offices, and production processes.

A target was set to reduce the per employee intensity of non-hazardous waste not being recycle by 20% by 2012, based on 2008 values.