Page 60 - Vaculug Sustainable Report 2022

There are times when we have to fly for our business. For this reason, we have a policy in place that requires all business-related flights by our employees to be carbon compensated. Additionally, through efficient planning we collect used tyre casings at the same time as making deliveries to our customers, thereby reducing fuel usage. Our delivery routes
are also reviewed every year to ensure we are continuously optimising the most efficient route plan.
Contributing to our overall carbon reduction efforts, we are proud Patrons of the One Life One Tree -
The Sequoia Project. Through our partnership, we purchased a Giant Sequoia tree which was planted in the Brecon Beacons.
The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit.
Nelson Henderson
WATER CONSUMPTION
We are continuing to track our water consumption each year, with the aim of becoming more efficient. In 2022 we used 3,856 cubic litres. This was up slightly from the year prior (3,059 cubic litres used in 2021) due to the increase in the number of tyres we manufactured in 2022.
ENERGY CONSUMPTION
Over the past year we saw a 24.9% reduction in our overall energy consumption, compared to 2021. In 2022, we consumed 2,029,527 kWh of energy across our operations. The reduction in our energy usage in 2022 was a result of several initiatives we put in place over the past few years, including the installation
of special thermal insulation systems for our tyre presses, which we developed in-house by Vaculug’s R&D team.
We also invested in a new heating control mechanism and advanced production techniques which have reduced cure time, saving the amount of energy used during the production process. Additionally, we have replaced our lighting to LED lightbulbs throughout our facilities.
WASTE MANAGEMENT
& RECYCLING (MANUFACTURING WASTE, FOOD WASTE)
We recognise the important role a circular business model plays in contributing to SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), and specifically SDG target 12.5 (substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling, and reuse). Across our retreading operations we buy used
tyre casings, we sell retreaded tyres, and we pay
to recycle our unusable tyres and rubber waste materials that would otherwise end up in landfill sites.
We abide by industry-standards for the reuse of tyres and the recycling of those which are beyond further use. Additionally, we reduce, reuse, and recycle our materials whenever possible.
Although it costs more to recycle, versus sending end-of-life tyres to landfill, we have made the conscious decision to act responsibly by choosing to recycle our rubber waste.
SUSTAINABILITY IN MOTION 2022 60