UC Rusal, the parent company of Windalco, has approved a strategy for the management of production waste until 2030.

The strategy is based on the “Zero waste to landfill” approach, which is considered to be an ambitious strategy for the metals and mining sector.

Chief sustainability officer of Rusal Irina Bakhtina said, “Rusal puts a priority on minimising the industrial waste generation and ensuring that waste is returned to a closed economic cycle — reuse or recycling within our own production or in other industries.”

However, just last week the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) disclosed that it will be imposing heavy sanctions on UC Rusal Windalco for the release of “thousands of litres of harmful trade effluent” into the Rio Cobre. The pollution killed several aquatic species in the river and has jeopardised the domestic lifestyle of residents, farmers and fisherfolks who depend on the health of the river for their livelihood.

NEPA stated in a press release: “We intend to draw-down on the full amount of the environmental performance bond (EPB), valued at US$771,558.69. We have already written to the commercial bank holding the environmental performance bond posted by UC Rusal Windalco as a condition for the operation of the refinery and the effluent holding pond, to recover the full amount in favour of the NRCA.”

Before now UC Rusal Windalco had been prosecuted for two earlier pollution incidents resulting in breaches of its environmental permits and environmental licences, and is presently before the St Catherine Parish Court.

In a release, UC Rusal indicated that the goal of the waste management strategy is to reduce (or even eliminate) waste generation. The company said it can be achieved through the introduction of the best available technologies and a phased transition to utilisation, recycling and selling products from waste.

Such an approach should ensure that by 2030 at least 95 per cent of aluminium and silicon production wastes will be included in the company’s turnover and processing (an increase of more than 20 per cent) and at least 65 per cent of the alumina production (excluding mineral waste and overburden grounds), which is an increase of more than 2.5 times compared to 2020 levels.

UC Rusal stressed that special attention in the strategy is given to safe operations of waste disposal facilities (WDF) (38 facilities worldwide). Rusal will resume environmental monitoring, surveys and evaluation of work for each operated and mothballed waste disposal facility. Until 2025 the Company plans to assess the works to ensure the reliable technical condition, including the planned reclamation of residue disposal areas.

The strategy contains a detailed plan for the complete decommission of equipment and waste containing polychlorinated biphenyls no later than by 2025. This commitment is fully in line with the 2001 Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants.

Currently, Rusal sends more than two-thirds of its production waste for recycling (excluding bauxite and nepheline residue and overburden) on its own or by an authorised contractor. The company stated that reducing waste disposal gives significant economic effects for the company and provides additional revenue.