Sustainability aspects
- Climate impact
- Resource consumption
- Environmentally and health hazardous products
Environmental work in focus
In recent years Peab’s climate and environmental work has become increasingly comprehensive and our targets and measurements sharper. High ambitions and a rapid tempo is necessary since as the Nordic Community Builder we have a big responsibility for reducing the construction and civil engineering industry’s considerable environmental impact at the rate specified by the Paris Agreement. Targets and more frequent follow-ups help us to carry out measures that really improve the environment as does collaborations that promote innovation. Taking responsibility for the environment is a key part of our strategic target to be a leader in social responsibility.
Measures, innovation and collaboration for climate neutrality
The most long-term target of Peab’s three comprehensive environmental targets is to be climate neutral by 2045, which is in line with the scientifically-based 1.5 degree goal. Our targets up to 2030 are to reduce carbon dioxide intensity by at least 60 percent in our own operations (Scope 1 and 2) and for input goods and purchased services (Scope 3) by at least 50 percent (compared to 2015). Read more about Peab’s strategic targets and outcome for 2021 here.
According to the Swedish National Board of Housing, Building and Planning developers and construction companies generate around 20 percent of carbon emissions in society. In Peab’s own operations most of the carbon emissions are generated by fossil fuel used in our vehicles and construction equipment, heating workplaces and manufacturing products. We therefore work on energy conserving measures and replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy. For example, Peab’s subsidiary Swerock has installed district heating in two concrete factories in Sweden, partially financed by the local investments program the Climate Leap Initiative. However, the greatest environmental impact resulting from our operations stems from production of the material we use and the use of the products, such as buildings, we deliver. We can reduce this through our choice of material, and transportation and how we manage waste. Our responsibility for reducing climate impact and constructing a life cycle perspective not only concerns our own operations but the entire value chain as well. In Sweden Peab also stands behind the construction and civil engineering industry’s Road map for fossil free competitiveness.
2030
Year 2030 we will have phased
out environmentally and
health hazardous products
2040
Year 2040 our business
will be 100 percent
resource efficient
2045
Year 2045 we will be
climate neutral
Transition in progress
Pilot project for reclaiming timber
Together with Beijer Byggmaterial and Wihlborgs Peab started a pilot project to increase the reuse of timber from construction sites. As part of the concept Gentræ Peab collects timber which can no longer be used in projects. When enough timber has been gathered Peab contacts Beijer which analyses the material, sorts it and figures out what can be reused. This reduces both the amount of waste and costs for waste management. The first project that tried this new concept was Wihlborgs Kvartetten in Hyllie in Malmö, a 23,000 m2 office building.
The ECO-product family grows
Peab produces ECO-Asfalt with carbon neutral biofuel. Peab’s subsidiary Peab Asfalt currently has around 90 asphalt plants in the Nordic region. Of these, 20 plants in Sweden have been able to offer ECO-Asfalt in 2021. During the year we began the transition in our other countries by converting four asphalt plants in Denmark, two in Finland and one in Norway.
By increasing the use of reclaimed asphalt pavement we can reduce the use of the binder bitumen (a byproduct from oil production) in asphalt and at the same time we can use mineral aggregates of great quality circularly. In 2021 the portion of reclaimed asphalt pavement in Peab’s Nordic asphalt production was 25 percent (compared to 14 percent 2015). It’s important to us to continually further develop our ECO-concept. In 2021 Peab further developed asphalt with lignin, which partially replaces bitumen. Lignin is the natural binder in wood and is a byproduct from forestry. So far Peab has paved five test sections of asphalt with lignin in Sweden and one in Finland.
In our ECO-Betong (ECO-Concrete) part of the cement is replaced with slag, a byproduct in steel manufacturing. This reduces both carbon emissions from manufacturing and saves the extraction of virgin limestone. Through this the concrete’s climate impact can be cut by up to 50 percent. Peab’s subsidiary Swerock is constantly increasing production capacity for ECO-Betong and established a new factory in Malmö in 2021. The plant heating system is fossil free and environmental adaptation has been in focus throughout the establishment process – from operation and production to finished products and shipping. This means that, for example, virgin mineral aggregates and binder has been partially replaced by recycled material, we recirculate process water and almost exclusively use HVO fuel for transportation. Our construction and civil engineering operations aim to increase the portion climate-improved concrete used in projects to reduce their climate footprint.
Peab’s subsidiary Byggelement in business area Industry introduced the climate-improved concepts ECO-Stomme (ECO-Frame) and ECO-Prefab in 2021. Now when Peab builds Brf Mälarparken in Södertälje for the first time all the flat concrete bases, double walls and sandwich walls are made of climate-improved concrete. On top of that the reinforcement in ECO-Prefab consists of recycled steel, the electricity used in the factories is green and the sandwich walls are shipped by train. We are also investing in more A-frame pallets in order to offer shipping by train from more of our manufacturing units in concrete element operations.
Furthermore, Peab launched the concept ECO-Ballast (ECO-Mineral aggregates) during the year. Read more about this in the section on resource efficiency below. We strive to create greater access to the environmental information on our products, partly by third party verified Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs).
First construction company with fossil free steel
During the year Peab as the first Swedish construction company entered into a partnership with SSAB regarding fossil free, high quality steel. This means that as of 2026 Peab will start using fossil free steel from SSAB in our construction projects. Together we will also analyze various ways fossil free steel can help the construction industry reduce its climate footprint.
In our ECO-Betong (ECO-Concrete) part of the cement is replaced with slag, a byproduct in steel manufacturing.
More electric vehicles and machines
Partnership with Volvo Trucks concerning electric vehicles has continued. In collaboration with our customer Kranpunkten we are first in Sweden to drive a heavy, specially equipped electric truck from Volvo Trucks. The model is the first mass-produced FE Electric Truck with this kind of superstructure in Sweden. With zero emissions and lower noise levels this electric truck will primarily carry Kranpunkten’s electric rental lifts to customer projects within environment zone 1 in Gothenburg’s inner city. During the year Peab’s subsidiary Lambertsson Kran also launched a unique electric mobile crane on caterpillar tracks. There are only three of these machines, which have a battery pack with a charger and run on electricity, in the world. The crane will be used all over Sweden and contributes to emission free workplaces with less noise.
Peab Asfalt has invested in a hybrid roller with an intelligent packing system that reads and regulates asphalt packing. The system signals when the asphalt is sufficiently packed which means fewer crossings, better quality and around 20 percent lower fuel consumption than in a standard roller.
Quite simply, hazardous products should never get into our operations.
Transition in progress
Reducing waste by remediation on site
Peab’s civil engineering operations work with remediating contaminated land and dredged soil and this contributes to reducing hazardous substances in the environment. In order to lower the amount of waste that has to be taken care of, where applicable, we can provide so-called in situ remediation which entails rendering the pollutants harmless where they are deposited instead of removing the soil. This also means less transportation of replacement soil for filling, which is a boon for the climate. We work on developing the methods used and a practical example of this is the project Bobergsgatan in Norra Djurgårdsstaden where we remediate a contaminated area by injecting chemicals that break down the pollutants.
Many roads lead to resource efficiency
Peab’s second environmental target is to be completely resource efficient by 2040. This target also contributes to our climate target since resource consumption and producing material has a substantial climate impact. In addition, our industry generates waste and in construction there is always a risk that ecosystems and biodiversity will be affected. We therefore strive for resource efficiency in production with effective use of material, responsible management of residual products and work methods that shield biodiversity. Our measures can entail designing resource lean constructions, purchasing circular products, minimizing waste, using land respectfully, managing excavated soil efficiently as well as sorting material so that it can be recycled. We also make sure to have close collaboration with the other actors in the value chain to achieve circular flows.
Circular material for sustainable construction
Civil engineering operations generate large amounts of surplus materials such as excavated soil and blasted rock. With so-called C&D Recycling Wash Plants Peab’s subsidiary Swerock can contribute to circular material flows and reduce the amount of surplus materials that become landfill by up to 80 percent.
During the year, in Sweden Swerock launched the concept ECO-Ballast (ECO-Mineral aggregates) which is made of at least 50 percent recycled raw material and is thereby a significant contribution to circular community building. The raw materials can come from construction or civil engineering projects or be byproducts from industrial processes. ECO-Ballast can be used in the manufacture of, for instance, asphalt or concrete or as a construction material. The product has the equivalent properties of virgin mineral aggregates, it is quality-ensured with an environmental and health declaration. The first ECO-Ballast product we delivered was construction material to the project Partille Port.
Another example is high quality mineral aggregates for asphalt made of slag, a byproduct of the steel industry. Peab is also holding discussions with material suppliers about manufacturing products that contain recycled material. This is yet another important measure to drive development towards circular material flows.
Seminal contracts for increased reuse
Every year thousands of tons of construction material are thrown away and we want to find new ways to recycle and reuse it. To reduce the amount of waste and increase circular material flows in 2021, as the first major construction and civil engineering company, Peab signed a framework agreement for reuse with two large reuse actors in Malmö and Gothenburg. Dismantled and leftover material from construction sites that cannot be returned to suppliers like doors, windows and kitchen fittings can now be picked up by the reuse actors. Everything from used windows and closets to toilets and kitchens have been picked up in the project Textile Factory in Gothenburg and we have already turned over around 650 used windows and doors for reuse in the renovation project HSB Brf Fyrverkaren in Helsingborg.
During the year we also established new guidelines for how leftover material at our construction sites is to be handled aimed at enabling greater reuse while complying with laws and our Code of Conduct.
Protection and development for biodiversity
Biodiversity means having variations within and between species as well as different types of life environments. Biodiversity is crucial to human welfare and access to such essentials as potable water and basic foodstuffs. The issue of shielding and preserving biodiversity is highly topical for our sector. Peab’s operations entail, as does all land use, encroaching on nature and the risk of displacing species. This is why we are careful to take steps to protect life and species, and even add to the biodiversity in the environments where we operate, especially in our quarries. Normally before Peab opens a quarry we make a natural value assessment in order to determine with the help of experts if the location is suitable and identify any possible protection measures.
In Sweden sometimes Peab draws up biodiversity plans in connection with new quarry permits in order to identify the best way to protect and even benefit various species. Quarries offer unique life environments for a number of threatened species and can therefore contain higher natural values than their surroundings. In 2021 we began work on a strategy for biodiversity. Peab fosters biodiversity by developing green infrastructure like fish passes and fauna passageways. Biodiversity is also a factor considered in environmental certification of buildings, for example the Nordic Swan Ecolabel. Our ambition is not only to protect a wealth of species but add to these riches when we can.
Transition in progress
Greater access to binder that replaces cement
Peab’s subsidiary Swecem has its own factory for Merit production, a binder based on slag which is a byproduct from the steel industry. Merit can replace parts of the cement in concrete thereby reducing both the need for cement and concrete’s climate footprint. During the year Swecom has continued to expand warehousing locations for the binder so that Merit is accessible to more projects. There are now terminals established in Helsingborg, Skellefteå, Oxelösund (Sweden) and Koverhar (Finland). In addition, there is a storage silo in Trollhättan. Investments in the terminal in Skellefteå have been partially financed by the Climate Leap Initiative.
Phasing out and replacing environmental and health hazardous products
Peab’s third environmental target is to phase out environmentally and health hazardous products by 2030. We want to protect people and the environment from toxic exposure in both production and usage. We also want to avoid mixing in toxic substances in material that will be reused.
In order to phase out hazardous products we work together with suppliers and producers to find new and better alternatives. During the year we implemented a substitution staircase and defined the criteria which inform the phasing out process, the so-called Peab criteria. We are also working on implementing a digital chemical management system into most of our operations to facilitate monitoring and steering chemical consumption.
Right from the start and traceable
Our prerequisites to phase out environmentally and health hazardous products are largely dependent on making the right decision to begin with. Quite simply, hazardous products should never get into our operations. We use environmental assessment systems such as Byggvarubedömningen and Basta to help us choose products. We develop methods and systems to steer purchasing towards better product selection by, for instance, integrating information on environmental assessments and ecolabelling into our purchasing processes. Traceability helps us identify substances we do not currently consider hazardous but which may later prove to be so. Keeping a logbook on built-in material is a way of ensuring traceability.
Continued focus on environmental certification of buildings
Buildings affect our environment during their entire lifecycle, from construction and operation to dismantling and demolition. Environmental certification systems provide a well-defined framework to work with in planning and production to assess how environmentally sustainable a building is and support us in our efforts to reduce our environmental impact.
Peab’s own developed apartment buildings produced in Sweden and Norway are certified according to the Nordic Swan Ecolabel. Peab Construction Norway received its service license to build Swan ecolabeled buildings in 2021. Our own developed commercial buildings in Sweden are certified according to BREEAM or Miljöbyggnad. In Finland Peab’s property development business uses the environmental certification system LEED instead. During the year a project in Finland was started as a pilot project for Swan ecolabel certification and since the summer of 2021 all our own developed housing projects in Finland are built with energy class A.
Climate risks and opportunities according to TCFD
Peab works long lastingly and systematically to reduce our climate impact and to accelerate climate transition to a fossil free society. Climate neutrality is a highly prioritized issue for our stakeholders and one of Peab’s environmental targets is to be climate neutral in 2045.
We have begun to implement TCFD’s recommendations. We consider them a good tool for structurally reporting how we work with our climate-related risks and opportunities as well as in identifying improvement areas. Many of these are reported in more detail in our annual CDP Climate Report, along with a number of them in our Annual and Sustainability Report.
Steering
Peab’s Board and executive management regularly work with issues associated with climate-related risks and opportunities. The Group’s environmental targets are adopted by executive management and approved of by the Board. The Board has given executive management the overriding responsibility for steering and monitoring climate work. The Group’s Head of Environment is responsible for strategically driving and coordinating Group climate work together with BA managers and specialists. Climate-related risks and opportunities are part of the strategic dialogue. Achievement of climate targets is monitored as a part of other results.
Strategy
Peab has identified climate-related risks and opportunities. A simple scenario analysis is the basis for identification of these. Examples of transition risks are more stringent legal requirements and higher costs for emissions. Examples of physical risks are extreme weather and floods that affect Peab’s production and solution selections.
Risk management
Peab works continuously to identify, assess and manage climate-related risks and opportunities – both physical and transition-related. We have begun the work to assess the financial effect these risks can have and judge the company’s resilience in relationship to them. The result from the consolidated risk analysis is processed by both the Board and executive management. More about risk management in Peab is found here and in the CDP report.
Targets and measurements
Peab has three long-term environmental targets, of which one is climate neutrality 2045, read more. Peab uses a number of measurements to monitor target achievement and climate impact, including Scope 1-2 and parts of Scope 3. These are presented in the Annual and Sustainability Report and in the CDP report.
Steering in the Environment area
Peab’s work with the environment is based on the Group’s prioritized sustainability aspects concerning the environment, which have been identified based on an environmental aspects evaluation, a risk and opportunity analysis, stakeholder dialogues and a materiality analysis. Common environmental issues are coordinated and run by Peab’s Group environmental manager in close collaboration with business area environmental managers and specialists. Peab’s three overriding environmental targets are determined by executive management and the Board (read more here) and are encompassed by a framework with defined interfaces, measurements, measurement methods and strategic improvement areas. These Group targets are broken down into subsets and turned into practical measures in our various operations formed by the business areas’ unique conditions and challenges.
Most of Peab’s business operates within the framework for a management system certified according to ISO 14001. The environmental management system is an integral part of the business management system which includes Peab’s Environmental Policy. Peab’s four business areas are responsible for the implementation of, and compliance with, management systems and policies in daily operations.
During the year we began the comprehensive work of creating a systematic and digital management system for the collation of the Peab Group’s environmental data. In the first stage the project comprises system support and processes for collation and analysis of environmental data linked to purchased products and services. The purpose of the project is to increase accessibility, transparency and quality in order to meet the constantly growing demands on reporting from both authorities as well as customers and financial actors.
Environmental certification of buildings
GRI G4 CRE-8
The diagram shows the number of received certificates. In the case of Miljöbyggnad and BREEAM the preliminary certification may be what is shown. Statistics include both our own developed projects where Peab is responsible for certification and projects Peab has built for customers. New for 2021 is that also the level of certification is reported (this information is not available for previous years.)
Energy consumption
GRI 302-1, GRI 302-3
During 2021 Peab has continued to refine the compilation process of energy data. The reported data cover all the major suppliers that together represent more than 90 percent of the electricity and district heating spend. Cooling and steam are not reported since the consumption of them is negligible in relation to other energy consumption. Data from all fuel suppliers are included. A pre-assurance revealed errors in reporting from 2020 and significant mistakes have been corrected in this year’s report. These concerned under reporting of LPG (unit error) and natural gas (part of operations not included) and an over reporting of electricity (unit error). The change in energy consumption between 2020 and 2019 is primarily due to the acquisition of pavement and mineral aggregates operations.
Most of the statistics are collected directly from suppliers but some estimates have been made based on, for example, invoices. In the first place supplier specific information on the products has been used to calculate the energy from fuel. Conversion factors for fuel have been updated and adjusted to reflect the reduction obligation level. Standards for conversion factors, based on national statistics and information from suppliers, are used where supplier specific data are not available. Standard factors used are reviewed annually.
Energy intensity
As of 2021 Peab has a target for energy intensity, measured as total energy consumption (all types of energy) in relation to the scope of the business, measured as net sales. The target is to reduce energy intensity by 2023 by 15 % compared to 2015. The outcome for 2021 landed on a reduction of 16 %.
Greenhouse gas emissions
GRI 305-1, GRI 305-2, GRI 305-3, GRI 305-4
During 2021 Peab has continued to refine the compilation process of data. For changes in energy consumption, which is the basis for calculating greenhouse gas emissions, see the section on “Energy consumption”.
In the first place supplier specific information has been used to calculate emissions. Standards for emission factors have been established and used where supplier specific data are not available. Standard factors are reviewed annually.
Scope 1 (fuel consumption):
Emissions of greenhouse gases from fuel consumption have been calculated with the help of emission factors from Peab’s fuel suppliers, national statistics, data from the energy industry’s organizations or DEFRA. Because of the annual update, emission factors for greenhouse gases (CO2e) also reflect the reduction obligation.
Scope 2 (other energy consumption):
CO2e emissions (location-based method) have been calculated with emission factors from AIB – Production mix, national statistics or data from the energy industry’s organizations. It should be noted that AIB has updated its method of calculating its emission factors and Peab is using the latest version in 2021.
CO2e emissions (market-based method) have been calculated with emission factors from suppliers, and in cases where factors from suppliers have not been available factors from AIB – Residual mix have been used for electricity, and national statistics or data from the energy industry’s organizations have been used for district heating.
Scope 3 (input goods and purchased services):
The scope of what is measured and reported in Scope 3 has been expanded in 2021. The new boundary of reporting in Scope 3 is based on an estimation of both the extent of environmental impact and the prerequisites for measuring it. Of the GHG Protocol’s 15 emission categories the following are reported (with certain boundaries that are specified in more detail in the comments in the GRI Index), where point 1 and 4 are new in 2021:
1. Purchased goods and services
4. Upstream transportation and distribution
5. Waste management services
6. Business travel
CO2e emissions generated by the input goods and services we have purchased have been calculated based on estimated quantities and with standards for emission factors. The data regarding quantities are built on estimates based on spend and include purchased goods and services as well as material delivered via subcontractors. The data on emissions are based on an estimate of how much of the purchased goods and services are environmentally better alternatives.
Business travel emissions include the train trips and flights booked through Peab’s travel agents and CO2e data are collected directly from the suppliers. CO2e emissions from flights have gone down while emissions from train trips have risen slightly. The corona pandemic and Peab’s updated guidelines for travel and meetings, which now more clearly steer towards digital meetings and train trips, have contributed to lower emissions.
CO2e emissions from generated waste have been calculated with a tool developed by the industry. Due to the fact that classification of waste has changed over time (changeover from the previous Kretsloppsrådet’s old classification to ÅVI/BEAst), waste in 2020 has been reclassified and CO2e emissions from this waste have been recalculated.
| Ton CO2e | 2021 | 2020 | |
| Ton CO2e | 2021 | 2020 | |
| Scope 1 | Scope 1 | 215,000 | 243,000 |
| Emissions | Utsläpp | 215,000 | 243,000 |
| Scope 2 (market based) | Scope 2 (marknadsbaserad beräkningsmetod) | 17,000 | 19,000 |
| Location based | Platsbaserad beräkningsmetod | 8,000 | 10,000 |
| Market based | Marknadsbaserad beräkningsmetod | 17,000 | 19,000 |
| Scope 3 | Scope 3 | 1,100,000 | 83,000 |
| Business travel, flights | Tjänsteresor flyg | 525 | 556 |
| Business travel, train | Tjänsteresor, tåg | 0.58 | 0.15 |
| Waste management incl. waste transportation (excl excavated soil) | Avfallshantering inkl. avfallstransport (exkl. schaktmassor) | 86,000 | 82,000 |
| Input goods and purchased services | Insatsvaror och köpta tjänster | 1,000,000 | – |
| Total amount of emissions of greenhouse gases (market based) | Total mängd utsläpp av växthusgaser (marknadsbaserad beräkningsmetod) | 1,332,000 | 345,000 |
As of 2021 Peab has a target for carbon dioxide intensity measured as greenhouse gas emissions (CO2e) in relation to the scope of the business, measured as net sales, allocated into Scope 1+2 (fuel and energy consumption in our own production) and Scope 3 (input goods and purchased services).
The target for Scope 1+2 is to reduce carbon dioxide intensity by 2030 by 60 % compared to 2015. The outcome for 2021 landed on a reduction of 40 %.
The target for Scope 3 is to reduce carbon dioxide intensity by 2030 by 50 % compared to 2015. The outcome for 2021 landed on a reduction of 3 %.
Greenhouse gas intensity
Waste
GRI 306-1, GRI 306-2, GRI 306-3
As of 2021 Peab reports waste according to the updated standard GRI 306 Waste (2020).
Material and waste flows as well as waste prevention measures
Environmental impact related to waste is primarily linked to the depletion of natural resources when material is not recycled, emissions of greenhouse gases and other air pollution from transportation and incineration of waste as well as using land for storage and landfill and the risk of spreading hazardous substances into soil and water. We strive to reduce the environmental impact caused by waste with EU’s waste hierarchy as our guide. This means that we try to reduce creating waste to begin with and then try to recycle and reuse the waste nevertheless generated. We also strive for less hazardous waste and to increase the amount of recycled material in the products we produce and use, along with providing products that can be recycled after end-of-life.
We understand the necessity of working closely with other actors in the value chain to achieve circular flows. Environmental impact related to waste is not only generated in Peab’s own operations but by other actors such as suppliers, customers, waste management companies and other manufacturing companies. Peab has the greatest power to steer environmental impact in our own operations but we can also affect the environmental impact of other actors through dialogue, requirements and our range of products and services. Peab’s material and waste flows are generally described in the figure below.
The upstream flows describe material flows into Peab such as material deliveries from suppliers and surplus material from other actors received for recycling while downstream flows describe material flows from Peab such as finished products to customers, components sent for reuse to other actors and waste removed by external waste management companies.
1. Virgin material
Peab has considerable operations in supplying raw material providing society with essential construction material such as mineral aggregates and gravel used, for example, in building railroads and manufacturing concrete. We strive to increase the use of circular material but we also use gravel and rock from our own quarries.
In our projects we try to reduce the need for construction material and soil for filling by, for instance, optimizing designs and in-situ treatment of contaminated soil that render the pollutants harmless onsite.
2. Input goods
We use input goods in our production in the form of chemical products, materials and goods from a large number of suppliers. The input goods usually come with packaging that creates a lot of waste.
In order to reduce the environmental impact of input goods we strive for optimized construction that diminishes the need for materials and streamlined work methods that minimize waste and surplus or damaged material. We look for products and packaging with more recycled material and that are in of themselves recyclable. Examples of products that can contain recycled material are plasterboard, glass wool and stone wool. We also strive for increased use of return packaging such as pallets.
3. Byproducts
We use byproducts from other actor’s operations as raw material in our own production.
We work continually to increase the amount of byproducts as raw material, thereby contributing to reducing the amount of material that becomes waste. An example of this is the slag from manufacturing steel that we use in our own production. We use it to make Merit, a binder that can replace cement in concrete. We also use it in ECO-Ballast (ECO-Mineral aggregates) that consists of at least 50 percent of recycled material, which reduces the use of virgin material.
4. Surplus material
Peab runs its own recycling operations, where we work to increase recycling and reuse of waste and residue material from construction and civil engineering projects as well as industrial processes, for both internal and external customers. Through efficient recycling of surplus excavated soil, in part through C & D Recycling Wash Plants, the amount of surplus excavated soil from excavation and infrastructure projects that becomes landfill can be reduced by up to 80 percent and we can instead use it as raw material in new products like ECO-Ballast (ECO-Mineral aggregates). We also use reclaimed asphalt pavement as a raw material in our asphalt production which lowers the amount of both bitumen and mineral aggregates needed.
5. Material and products
Peab manufactures number of different materials and products for our customers – everything from mineral aggregates, asphalt and concrete to finished bridges, schools and hospitals. Packaging is minimum for this kind of product.
We strive for all our products to contain more recycled material. An example is our ECO-Ballast (ECO-Mineral aggregates), which is made up of at least 50 percent recycled raw material and we use recycled material in the manufacture of concrete and asphalt such as slag-based binder and recycled mineral aggregates. We also try to use products and material with long lives and to enable reuse and recycling of them at the end of their lives. For example, we are phasing out environmentally and health hazardous products that contain substances we do not want in the circular flow. We also need to work further on dismantling, which will enable future reuse of included components.
6. Retrieval and waste returns
Despite preventative measures production still generates some material waste and there can be some leftover material.
First and foremost we try to return this material to the supplier by retrieving leftover, undamaged products that can be resold or return material waste that can go back into the supplier’s production as raw material. Examples of material waste that can be returned to suppliers for recycling are glass wool, stone wool and plasterboard.
7. Reuse
If leftover material and products cannot be returned to the supplier we look for some other use. This might be leftover material and products, temporary material only needed during the production phase or products that have been dismantled in connection with renovation or demolition.
Some of it we can use in our own operations. An example of systematic reuse is our project Varvsstaden, a former shipyard now being transformed into a new city borough in the middle of Malmö. Here we have developed “The Material Bank”, a database that contains information about all the material onsite while displaying the environmental gains of reusing and retrieving it. We want to make leftover material and products we cannot use in our operations available to other actors and have therefore signed partnering contracts with several external reuse actors.
8. Waste
The waste that is generated in our operations despite all the above measures is sorted and handled by professional waste management companies. They can have other options for reuse and recycling of the material. If not, the waste is sent to incineration, usually with energy recovery, or as a last resort to landfill. There are instances where material and products are not fit for reuse and recycling, for example, hazardous waste derived from demolition or soil remediation. This is also handled by professional waste management companies for treatment and/or disposal.
Peab ensures safe and secure waste management by checking that waste management companies have the proper permits for their operations before contracts are signed. A follow-up of managed waste amounts is conducted at least once a year on Group level, through a compilation containing waste type, if the waste is hazardous or not and what kind of recycling or disposal method has been used by waste management companies.
More examples of how we work with resource efficiency, preventing waste generation and increasing the portion of recycled waste can be found in the text section on the environment in the Annual and Sustainability Report.
Generated waste
During 2021 Peab has continued to refine the compilation process for waste data. We have held a dialogue with suppliers to ensure good compilation of statistics, including increased standardization of waste type categories and treatment methods. The reported data include all of the major suppliers that together represent over 90 percent of the waste management services spend.
Because Peab now reports according to the updated GRI standard there is no historical data available except total waste amounts. This figure has been updated due to the identified errors in reporting for 2020, primarily concerning excavated soil.
Waste year 2021, total for the Group was 736,000 (935,000) tons.
The waste has been categorized according to the industry standard (ÅVI/BEAst ver 2021-09) with the additional fractions return packaging, sludge, landfill and other waste.
Waste type “Hazardous waste” includes hazardous waste that does not fit under other kinds of waste, for instance, chemicals in small packaging. This means that, for example, excavated soil that is hazardous waste comes under waste type excavated soil etc.