Good environmental performances are a condition of Höganäs' long-term success and a competitive edge in its offering to customers. The effective utilisation of raw materials, energy and minimising waste are in focus in its environmental work. Höganäs' environmental policy demands continuous improvement in the segment, and there is a direct link between environmental activities and financial outcomes. More efficient consumption of resources and energy generate savings for the short and long-term.

Systematic environmental activities create a long-term pay-off for Höganäs. Other conditions for achieving improvement are undisrupted, consistent production, as well as reliable decontamination equipment. This sets high standards for employees' technical skills, as well as their understanding of the environmental impact of operations.

Höganäs works according to the ISO 14001 environmental management system and all production plants are certified and regularly inspected by a third party. This generates the continuous improvement of processes and staff environmental knowledge. The Company also evaluates its suppliers' environmental activities, encouraging them to implement certified environmental management systems.

Conditions applying to operations
In all countries where Höganäs has production, permits are required for producing metal powder. These permits primarily regulate production volumes, airborne and waterborne emissions, noise and waste. The permits are for a predetermined period or until further notice and Höganäs has them for all production facilities.
A new environmental permit was issued in Brazil in 2008, enabling the collocation of production at a single location as opposed to two previously. Höganäs has applied for, and expects to secure, increased production permits for its Indian operation in 2009.
The Company is conducting an in-depth audit of the incidence of land contamination at its Swedish operations at Höganäs and Halmstad in consultation with the regulatory authorities. The Company has received no demand to decontaminate or take other measures for contaminated land resulting from this.

Consumption of resources
Höganäs endeavours to reduce the consumption of resources, and thus its environmental impact. Some two-thirds of production is based on recycled material, scrap iron. The remainder is based on virgin iron ore. Virgin iron ore is still necessary in some products with the characteristics and qualities customers need.
Höganäs is particularly active in the Swedish Steel Producers’ Association, in a number of segments that are highly relevant to the Company. One of these projects is in recycling slag, a residual product from iron smelting, as a construction material, for example. This may further streamline the consumption of resources.

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Reduced emissions
Emissions of carbon dioxide are inevitable in the production of iron and steel, due to the usage of carbon in the production process. Höganäs pursues continuous efforts to reduce its airborne emission volumes. Emissions per ton of material produced have reduced progressively since the mid-1980s.

Metal powder protects the environment
Growing understanding of the necessity of protecting the environment is helping expand the market for metal powder for filtering and cleaning exhaust. Powder grains absorb hazardous or unwanted substances by acting as catalysts. Customers here include the chemical and textile industries, where filtration during polyester and polyamide production is a growth segment.

Höganäs’ metal powder can also be used in waste disposal, helping recover non-degradable plastics, pure metals and chemicals, and ease the disposal of radio-active waste.Metal powder is also used to transfer toner to paper in large photocopiers and laser printers. Höganäs tailors its products to customer needs.

Metal powder for a healthier life
Iron deficiency is one of the most common deficiencies in the western world and developing countries. Women are often affected, the usual reason being insufficient iron in diets. Metal powder is used by flour-mills, bakers and animal feed producers as food and feed supplements. Höganäs plays a prominent role in work on increasing iron supplements in food. Höganäs’ range of NutraFine powder is used as supplements in breakfast cereals, flour, pasta and a range of other foods.