Waste

Our production activities generate solid and liquid waste, including hazardous waste such as oily sludge, waste chemicals, and catalysts. Examples of non-hazardous waste include excavated soil, as well as mixed municipal waste, paper, and metal.

In addition, 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. This section of the Sustainability Report focuses on waste management in our operations. For more on end-of-life waste, please see the focus area Circular Economy.

Specific Policies and Commitments

According to OMV’s Environmental Management Standard, all OMV Group businesses and activities are required to identify and use the least hazardous material option and to minimize both the use of raw materials and the subsequent generation of waste. The following hierarchy is applied to controlling waste: prevention, preparation for reuse, recycling, other recovery (e.g., energy recovery), and, lastly, disposal in a controlled manner. The disposal of liquids in landfills and the burning of solid and liquid materials in open burning pits or any other location are not permitted.

The OMV Group’s Environmental Management Standard further requires that environmental and social components be identified for the entire life cycle of facilities, including decommissioning and abandonment, so that any future adaptation measures can be identified and planned for. The needs of local communities, including indigenous peoples, are incorporated and addressed throughout all phases of the project life cycle, including during decommissioning or abandonment.

Management and Due Diligence Processes

Application of Best Practices

International industry best practice is applied for the management and treatment of waste, including drilling waste. Where existing local, regional, or national waste management facilities are inadequate, OMV supports third parties in developing their capability.

Recycling

Waste is recovered and recycled where possible, including during site closure and decommissioning. If recycling is not possible, all waste is processed and/or disposed of only in licensed facilities or via reputable licensed contractors. Waste contractors are regularly audited.

2023 Actions

The following key activities were carried out across the Group in 2023:

Waste Recovery or Recycling Rate

In %

• 81% of OMV’s total waste comes from OMV Petrom. OMV Petrom continued to work on site restoration at the remaining five depots in Constanța, Zalău ANRS, Iaṣi, Oradea, and Găeṣti. At the Zalău ANRS, Oradea, and Găeṣti depots, the restoration works were finalized in 2023. Over the past few years, 42 former fuel terminals have already been restored, with sites having been remediated to initial preoperational state. In addition to the 249,575 m³ of soil/subsoil contaminated with petroleum products generated and treated over previous years, around 53,372 m³ of additional contaminated soil was treated in 2023. The treatment is performed using site-specific methods in line with best practice (e.g., bio­remediation technologies off site and on site with injection). We achieved a recovery rate of 99% for the contaminated soil treated, which we then used for on-site backfills or directed to other authorized locations. We performed periodic monitoring during and after site rehabilitation, as requested for each site by environmental authorities. The site status (e.g., land covered by grass, soil compaction) is monitored quarterly for one year after our works are finalized. The decontamination work on the former petroleum products terminal in Constanța was carried out in close collaboration and alongside the archaeological research conducted by the Museum of National History and Archaeology Constanța (MINAC). This was done according to national legislation, and due to the site’s high archaeological potential. During the archaeological survey, many artefacts of historical significance were also discovered.
• To celebrate World Environment Day (WED), which takes place annually on June 5, OMV Tunisia launched the #BeatPlasticPollution campaign in Gabès and the south of Tunisia where it operates. Some 25 people from corporate volunteering, including members of the OMV Tunisia leadership team, were present at the beach in Gabès to participate in the “Run and Plog” activities jointly organized by OMV and other public sector institutions and local non-government organizations. Participants engaged in a plastic waste collection rally. The Gabès coastline is home to a vulnerable ecosystem in the Mediterranean with increased interest in preserving marine biodiversity (e.g., endangered turtle species). From Gabès, we moved to our sites in the desert of Tataouine. Another cleaning campaign was held in the heart of the desert, where Waha CPF, Nawara CPF field teams, and contractors gathered to pick up littered plastic. Two permanent containers were also placed on the road to allow travelers to dispose of plastic bottles in an adequate way. 

Outlook

As part of our Sustainability Strategy 2025, we plan to increase the reuse and recycling of waste from operations. Over the coming year, we plan to review the Waste Management Plans across the OMV Group.