Providing a healthy and safe living space is a basis for the development of our operations. Environmental protection, together with health and safety at work, represent the fundamental rights, duties and responsibility of all our employees, and are also a part of SIJ Acroni’s management policy.
At SIJ Acroni d.o.o. we divide environmental work into several areas:
- Air
- Water
- Earth
- Internal recycling
- Sorting of waste
- Future investments
- Activities.
They have all been continuously carefully developed and nurtured throughout the years.
Air
We have 21 de-dusting systems for cleaning polluted air, produced through our technological processes. The de-dusting system in the steel mill alone purifies more than 1,600,000 m3 of polluted air containing solid particles and dust hourly, prior to releasing the air into the atmosphere.
Because of the high temperatures involved in the technological processes of steel production water is used for cooling purposes.
In 2006 we used 7,200,000 m3 of water for the purpose of cooling; by investing in improvements in production technology, water usage has been reduced to 2,100,000 m3 (2012).
To reduce the quantity of the cooling water we have replaced all flow-through cooling systems with open and closed loor cooling systems. All technological waste waters are purified in four waste water treatment plants.
Water
Because of the high temperatures involved in the technological processes of steel production water is used for cooling purposes.
Before remediation of Waste water treatment plant we spent 12.500.000 m3 of water for the purpose of cooling; by investing in the production technology improvements, the water usage has been reduced to 2.330.000 m3 (2014).
To reduce the quantity of the cooling water we have replaced all flow-through cooling systems with open and closed loor cooling systems. All technological waste waters are purified in four waste water treatment plants.
Earth
The first objective of any waste policy should be to minimize the negative effects of the generation and management of waste on human health and the environment. The waste policy should also aim to rede the use of resources, and favor the practical application of the waste hierarchy.
The current European Directive on waste, which is also the basis for Slovenia’s national regulations, helps to move the EU closer to a ‘recycling society’, seeking to avoid the generation of waste and to use waste as a resource.
SIJ Acroni, d.o.o. has absolutely no interest in disposing of waste; we would rather process and reuse it. In the past slag was the main waste we had. In 2010 we registered all our slag as by-products under the REACH legislation.
The advantages of using black steel slag in road construction are the conservation of nature, a lower impact on the environment and improved characteristics of the road surface.
Internal recycling
Due to the recycling and transformation of old and waste steel into our products,SIJ Acroni d.o.o. is one of the largest waste management companies in Slovenia.
On a yearly basis we process between 300 and 400 thousand tonnes of scrap steel and iron. In addition, we also recycle other by-products of our manufacturing processes.
Sorting of Waste
Sorting waste within the company is an important part of everyday work at SIJ Acroni d.o.o.. In line with this we further recycle plastic, wood, paper, and mixed municipal waste. Sorting and recycling waste crucially contributes to the protection of natural resources and a reduction in energy usage. Throughout the company we have ’ecological islands’ for sorting waste.
Future investments
All the new technologies and processes that we invest in must meet the requirements of environmental protection and employee safety while adding a high quality product value. Our current project is the development of acid-free cleaning of surfaces by mechanical cleaning with sandblasting in the cold rolling plant.
Activities
Spring is a time for cleaning. Every year in May we organize a voluntary cleaning campaign to clean up the company premises.
An Open Day provides access to the company for locals and the nearby schools in order for them to see our steel production and the waste water treatment plants.