We want to keep materials in use for longer and value them throughout their life cycle. We will do this by using resources responsibly and embracing circular principles in design, operations and decommissioning and aim to work with partners and our joint ventures to create opportunities.
Our internal framework for circularity uses and adapts definitions from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. It focuses on three principles of circularity: eliminate waste and pollution; circulate products and materials; and regenerate nature. We believe it can help to clarify circularity principles and set out practical actions that our businesses can take to support this aim.
In 2023 we identified new focus areas for our circularity work, covering our operated sites and our transition growth engines, including wind, hydrogen and EV charging.
Our humble coffee cup has ben re-engineered so it’s now a single layer instead of two. Watch the video to find out how this is benefiting our customers and the planet.
We are fighting food waste at our retail sites across Europe
Following the introduction in 2022 of a new methodology to collect waste data, we have identified opportunities to improve circularity across our operated sites.
Our focus is on improving our recycling and recovery rate.
We plan to prioritize the opportunities we have identified from our new waste data methodology and develop targeted plans to address them. We will do this by applying the waste hierarchy and considering options for waste avoidance, waste reduction and diversion to recycling and recovery.
We disposed of around 240kt of hazardous and non-hazardous waste in 2023, a 21% decrease (2022 305kt) and we recycled or recovered around 250kt of waste, a 4% increase from 2022. Our recycling and recovery rate was 51%.
We monitor our air emissions and, where possible, put measures in place to reduce the potential impact of our operational activities on local communities and the environment. In 2023 our total air emissions remained relatively flat compared to 2022.
bpx energy contributed to these results by reducing its non-methane hydrocarbon emissions by 5% through various interventions including electrification, compressor optimization, base well tie-ins, new well designs and flaring reduction projects.
