Sustainability, customers & employees

Sustainability shift

By fully integrating sustainability into our operations and offerings, we are creating a solid base for conducting profitable and responsible business. Energy efficiency and circularity characterize our steel mills in Sandviken and Hallstahammar, Sweden which use more than 80 percent recycled steel in their production. By changing to a more energy-efficient lime in our steel mill processes, we were able to achieve an indirect reduction of 5,800 tons of CO₂ emissions per year. We also recycle the furnace slag from our steelmaking process and use it to make new products such as concrete blocks. Among our other sustainability initiatives is a new buy-back program with our partner Stamicarbon to recycle high alloy steel from customers’ old equipment.

Our product offering for our customers contributes to more efficient and sustainable processes and end products. We are always striving to find more sustainable solutions to eliminate harm to people and the environment. As an example, Sandvik Materials Technology won “The Sandvik Sustainability Award in Memory of Sigrid Göransson” for a service solution that helps customers reduce their CO₂ emissions by converting from fossil gas furnaces to electrical furnaces.

Employer of choice

With over 250 employees within Research and Development globally, we are building further on our heritage of innovation and collaboration. We are taking new paths within our brand and culture to be able to utilize the entire recruitment base and attract more women to the industry. We work actively with diversity and inclusion, showcase the variety of interesting workplaces within our operations, and collaborate with local schools and universities in the regions where we operate to attract employees. During 2020, we continued our work to build competence for the future and launched several digital learning opportunities within our organization.

The safety development within our global operations was positive during 2020, supported by increased focus on local EHS (Environment, Health and Safety) plans. Our organization engaged in a number of activities related to combating the pandemic, for example by donating Personal Protective Equipment to the local communities in which we operate.

Customer’s 1st choice

Sandvik Materials Technology is a niche player within our industry with unique competence and material know-how.

The Norwegian company Glasopor is one of few manufacturers in the world that produces foam materials from recycled glass. Its innovative products are used in road and railway construction and as insulation in buildings. The company has boosted its profitability and eliminated its carbon footprint by switching from gas to electricity based on a Kanthal® electric heating system. The goal was to reduce energy consumption by 28 percent; they ended up reducing it by 37 percent and in addition, reduced their CO₂ emissions to zero.