Waste

Production Waste

Waste Recovery or Recycling Rate

In %

Our activities generate solid and liquid waste, including hazardous waste, such as oily sludge, waste chemicals, catalysts, and construction debris. Examples of non-hazardous waste include concrete not containing dangerous substances, welding waste, drilling wastes, mud without oil content, as well as mixed municipal waste, paper, and metal. Waste is recovered and recycled where possible.

We apply best practices in the management of drilling waste. For example, in our OMV Petrom Upstream Crișana asset, inert drill cuttings stemming from water-based drilling waste are picked up by a waste management contractor and used as a stabilization agent for other waste (mostly sludge) along with other stabilization materials such as cement. The stabilized waste is subjected to a leaching test and, depending on the test results, can be used as cover layer in non-hazardous waste landfills.

OMV conducts knowledge-sharing on waste management. For example, as part of the 2016–2020 OMV-Gazprom Scientific & Technical Cooperation and Partnership, OMV and Gazprom experts share their experience and best practice examples in the field of waste management systems in the EU and Russian Federation as well as drilling waste management in onshore and offshore operations.

Waste Segregation in Yemen

In 2020, we implemented new waste management measures in Yemen. Previously, waste segregation was limited, with most waste simply burned. In 2020, the Yemen team devised new waste management solutions that include the segregation of waste and recycling of waste such as plastic and used batteries. Food waste is transformed into fertilizer using a food waste composter.

SDG targets: 12.3 By 2030, halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels and reduce food losses along production and supply chains, including postharvest losses; 12.5 By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse

We also seek to reduce waste in our office operations. For instance, OMV Petrom has launched the Paperless Project, where it takes a close look at its day-to-day operations involving paper consumption and considers ways to reduce the related environmental impact. To this end, the company has deployed various initiatives under the umbrella “Go paperless,” including implementing electronic signatures starting in 2017. The environmental benefits include reducing paper consumption, preventing paper waste, avoiding carbon emissions from courier services as well as minimizing the impact on natural resources required for maintaining controlled parameters (e.g., temperature and humidity) in the storage rooms. In addition, increased business efficiency and reduced costs are among the wins of this project. Its implementation was gradual, starting with several flows of internal financial documents, then with external ones such as commercial contracts. An important step took place in 2020, when around 6,000 employees were provided with qualified electronic signature solutions for most types of documents. This technology helped the company reduce its paper consumption by 25% in 2020 versus 2019.

Decommissioning Activity

The OMV Group Environmental Management Standard requires that environmental and social components are identified for the entire life cycle of facilities including decommissioning and abandonment so that any future adaptation measures are identified and planned for. The views of local communities, especially of indigenous peoples, are incorporated and addressed throughout all phases of the project life cycle including during decommissioning or abandonment. OMV is committed to rehabilitating land and sets aside funds for this purpose. In 2020, EUR 4.1 mn in environmental provisions were recognized for rehabilitation. ¹ Excluding Borealis

End-of-Life Waste

As a producer of plastics, we are deeply aware of the issue of plastic waste. Too often, unmanaged plastic waste is dumped in unsanitary landfills or burned, therefore increasing the risk of leakage into waterways, lakes, or oceans and thus causing negative impacts on the environment, marine life, and, potentially, human health. OMV and Borealis are committed to become a leading “plastic-neutral” producer. (For more information, see Plastics Recycling.) Borealis is a partner in the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s New Plastics Economy initiative (NPEC), a member of the EU’s Circular Plastics Alliance, and a signatory to the “A line in the sand” initiative of the Ellen McArthur Foundation. Borealis has also signed a manifesto calling on UN member states to commit to the development of a global treaty on plastic pollution.

In 2017, Borealis initiated and co-founded Project STOP, a program that works hand in hand with cities to create low-cost circular waste management systems to prevent the leakage of plastics into the environment and oceans. Project STOP also creates community benefits, including jobs in waste management and a reduction of the harmful impact of mismanaged waste on public health, tourism, and fisheries. Project STOP is currently operating in three cities in Indonesia, and there are plans for further expansion. (For more information, see Community Investments.)

Project STOP uses a “system enabler” approach, wherein the entire system, not just certain areas, is the focus of improvement. At its core is a team of experts, who work with local governments, communities, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to establish a waste collection and recycling system on the one hand and improve the necessary institutional capacities, the legal framework, and the behavior of the population and ensure sustainable financing on the other hand. Project STOP has been joined by additional partners, who are each committed to bringing their expertise, know-how, and financial and technical support to the initiative. They include the Norwegian Embassy in Jakarta, NOVA Chemicals, Nestlé, the Alliance to End Plastic Waste, Borouge, and Siegwerk. In addition, Veolia, the Schwarz Group, and HP have joined as technical and supporting partners. (For more information on Project STOP, see www.stopoceanplastics.com/en_gb/.)