Managing waste
Our waste management strategy is to prevent, reduce and recycle waste before treatment, incineration or disposal. We take advantage of opportunities for reuse and recycling, we work to keep environmental impact from waste at a minimum, and we maximize energy use from waste.
The disposal of waste, particularly in landfills, poses the long-term risk of soil, surface and ground water contamination. Liquid and soluble components leaking from landfills could ultimately endanger the health of people living nearby, and of communities that depend on natural water sources downstream. In 2007 Novartis banned the practice of disposing of organic hazardous waste in landfills from all its operations worldwide.
Novartis reports total quantities of hazardous and non-hazardous waste from operations, specified according to types of waste and disposal routes. Routes include recycling, treatment, incineration (with and without energy recovery) and landfill. Waste-intensity targets are set for the total amounts of hazardous and non-hazardous waste not being recycled.
