Hydro is in dialogue with customers and other stakeholders when it comes to the environmental impact of our processes and products. We perform life-cycle assessments (LCAs) of all major product groups to identify improvement potential, perform benchmarking and assist our product developers and customers regarding environmental footprint considerations. We also continuously assess other aspects such as energy and material consumption, toxicity and recyclability.
Hydro has entered into cooperation with the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), focusing on the development of a mass-flow analysis model (MFA), with particular attention paid to long-term changes in aluminium use and its implications for the environment.
Human rights, working conditions, integrity and community impact throughout our value chain is also a part of our product stewardship approach.
Further promoting aluminium recycling
Over the past two decades, Hydro and other aluminium companies have developed a pan-European network of national initiatives to promote and recycle aluminium packaging. Many of these national activities are focusing on education and have developed projects with primary and secondary schools, and with universities to stimulate the next generation to make their contribution to a better environment. The most recent show case is Romania. Here, Hydro and other aluminium companies launched "Aluminium Can Recycling Romania - Alucro" together with a can manufacturer. In 2011, children's information and education regarding environmental protection, and saving resources and energy through the recycling of used aluminium beverage cans, took place in over 100 schools, reaching more than 90,000 pupils.
The big tea light hunt
The big tea light hunt in Norway, arranged by IKEA and WWF with Hydro as one of the partners, is more than about collecting the aluminium cups from used tea lights for recycling. It is also about creating good attitudes among the 23,000 six-to-10-year-old pupils who are participating. And it is about the attitudes the children demand from their networks - close family, grandparents and neighbors. In total, the children collected 13 million used tea lights.
Good packaging saves food
Global food losses is one of the most urgent problems for the international community. About one third of the global food production is lost on the way “from farm to fork” or is discarded unused by the consumers. Responding to an invitation by Messe Düsseldorf and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, international stakeholders from politics, business and the general public came together in May 2011 at the SAVE FOOD congress to find solutions to fight global food loss. Hydro is one of twelve sponsors of SAVE FOOD. Our specific contribution is packaging in which aluminium helps to conserve food even more efficiently so that it stays fresh longer and is better protected for transport and storage. Thereby we help optimize the carbon footprint in the food supply chain and in the consumption of beverages.
