Policies for resource use and circular economy (E5-1)

Epiroc’s Sustainability Policy states that our products and services are developed to meet sustainability requirements. We use a lifecycle perspective to address and minimize the negative environmental impacts that our products and services may have during development, distribution, use, and end-of-life treatment. The policy specifically points out responsible use of natural resources. Epiroc Environmental Principles describe how we should act in relation to environmental matters. One of the principles emphasizes the importance of resource efficiency and circular economy, stating that we minimize our use of natural resources by moving towards a circular economy and promoting the continual use of material to prevent waste. This can be achieved, for example, by increasing the use of secondary raw material and using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) as a tool to identify and communicate the environmental footprint of products.

Our Guideline for Responsible Use of Natural Resources gives guidance on how to ensure circularity and waste management priorities are aligned with global requirements. It explains that all Epiroc companies shall ensure responsible use of natural resources and that processes, including services, shall be optimized to minimize waste. Unavoidable waste shall, when possible, be seen as a resource and managed based on the waste hierarchy and the 9R circularity strategies. The guideline is to be considered throughout the product lifecycle, in design and optimization of the use phase, and covers activities throughout our value chain.

Managers at all levels are responsible for the implementation of and compliance with the policies. They are reviewed regularly and approved by VP Sustainability and available to all internal stakeholders in our management system the Epiroc Way.