As a family business with a track record of reinvesting its profits back into its operations, EMR has always seen one of its goals as driving positive change in the recycling sector.
And, whether it’s by producing innovative new materials that help our customers reduce their carbon emissions or by raising the bar when it comes to environmental standards, this approach is more relevant and necessary today than ever.
As our customers set increasingly ambitious ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) goals, EMR’s commitment to improving our capabilities is now helping other businesses to achieve their targets too.
One great example of this is the next generation of sustainable materials our teams have developed in recent years.
Virgin steel production is responsible for 11% of global emissions according to Carbon Brief. Since 2022, our teams have been delivering a game-changing reusable steel product – the world’s first to receive an EPD – which creates 97.5% less carbon that its virgin equivalent. The steel sections EMR produces are carefully selected before a demolition project begins and are then removed, rigorously tested and refabricated to order. EMR Reusable Steels’ sections are already being used in some of the UK’s greenest new construction projects, including the redevelopment of 76 South Bank and Elephant and Castle.
Likewise, EMR’s plastics recycling arm, MBA Polymers UK, has developed a suite of low-carbon recycled plastics from feedstock including end-of-life vehicles (ELVs), waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) and a range of household appliances. Most recently, MBA Polymers has launched a unique car bumper collection service for independent approved treatment facilities (ATFs), auto repair shops and metal recyclers, which aims to return high-quality plastics from ELVs back into the circular economy.
The measurable sustainability benefits of MBA Polymers’ recycling technology include carbon savings of between 75% and 86%, making them the first recycled polymers to carry the Carbon Trust's Lower CO2 label.
For EMR to produce recycled materials in the least damaging way requires both investment and innovation in our facilities.
As part of our ambitious science-based target to reach net-zero emissions by 2040, our sites are introducing a range of electrified cranes, material handlers and fork-lift trucks and are rapidly transitioning to renewable electricity. Two new facilities – our Wind Turbine Processing Centre in Glasgow and EMR Coventry’s pioneering battery recycling plant – highlight how EMR’s investments are focused on meeting the challenges and opportunities that a new, greener economy will bring.
Across EMR’s global operations, our teams also set the standard for environmental protection, safety and quality. In the Netherlands, this has included implementing the requirements of the EU’s new Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) one year early, while – in Dallas, Texas – EMR USA is busy introducing ISO-accredited management systems following their successful roll out in the UK.
Another key element of effective ESG goal setting is a focus on how a business enriches the communities in which it operates.
EMR has maintained a decades-long focus on providing opportunities to young people from disadvantaged backgrounds including care leavers, those leaving the armed forces and – in some cases – individuals serving custodial sentences. A great example of this approach in action is at HMP Eastwood Park, where inmates can join a Release on Temporary Licence (ROTL) scheme to work at the nearby EMR Sharpness recycling facility.
Through its education programmes at local schools and regular support of community charities, EMR also invests in the neighbourhoods around its sites to ensure the next generation is ready for the exciting opportunities that will lie ahead in a more sustainable world.
For any business that’s focused on setting and delivering ambitious ESG goals, knowing that the companies you work with share your vision and commitment is all important. Get in touch today and discover how EMR can accelerate your company towards its own ESG goals.
