Environmental protection at Beerse

Aurubis Beerse specializes in the recovery of non-ferrous metals from a variety of material streams.

The Beerse site is situated in the province of Antwerp in the North of Belgium and was founded in 1919 as ‘La Metallo-Chimique. As early as 1923, it was processing a wide variety of recycling materials ranging from end-of-life consumer products such as pots and pans to industrial residues such as factory tailings. In the 1960s, a process was developed to recycle copper, tin, and lead from more complex raw materials. In the last few decades, nickel and zinc were added to our range.

Today, the Beerse site excels in recycling and refining complex secondary raw materials into non-ferrous metals, metal products, and minerals. With about 460 employees, the site processes about 660 different kinds of recycling materials, serving a global supplier base of 500 companies in 56 countries. These recycling materials include metal-bearing residues like drosses and slags, but also copper scrap, alloys, and metallic shredder materials.

Recycling is crucial for a sustainable and circular society. Our zero-waste focus, in which we strive to convert all scrap materials into valuable input materials, makes Aurubis Beerse one of the global frontrunners in metal recycling. In order to provide answers for the increasing scarcity of natural resources and complexity of recycling materials, we have formed dedicated teams of experts in every step of the process. With in-depth knowledge of markets, metallurgy, quality analysis, pricing mechanisms, regulations and technologies, we are always a reliable partner for all of our stakeholders.

With innovative, environmentally friendly, high-performance facilities, we give new life to metals and minerals that in the hands of other companies might be lost to society as waste. We process these multimetal raw materials and bring them back into the value chain.

Compliance with environmental laws and regulations is regarded as a minimum requirement. By operating with specific, mostly custom-made, and high-performance technologies, we achieve exemplary success in environmental protection, while still focusing on further continuous improvement. In doing so, we always ensure that we minimize the risks for the health and safety of our workforce, as well as the impact on our climate.

The intensive work on continuous improvement is also reflected by the implementation of the best available techniques (BAT). This means our installations are operating at very high energy efficiency levels and we are setting standards by using advanced environmental technologies that already meet, or even exceed, the latest requirements. Constantly striving for excellence will push us to recover even more metals for progress within the Aurubis Group in the future and underline our important social role in processing complex raw materials.

For us, sustainability and economy go hand in hand. We build and continuously reinforce trust based on our conviction that corporate social responsibility is essential to our relationship with stakeholders worldwide.

Daily emission monitoring, including stack emissions, ambient air monitoring, workplace monitoring, and continuous testing and analysis ensure transparency in environmental protection and provide a reliable and safe working environment.

Environmentally sound copper and multimetal production with adjacent residential zones and next to a nature reserve recognized as Natura 2000-protected area requires efforts that go above and beyond legal regulations. Protecting the environment and the health of our neighbors and employees comes first and is the foundation for safeguarding the site’s future.

Because of its unique location, the Beerse site supports the preservation of biodiversity beyond environmental requirements. The presence of endangered species of frogs and salamanders in local ponds was confirmed in 2019. In the coming years, measures will be taken to rehabilitate their natural environment and return it to its natural state. For example, more space will be created for all kinds of animals and heather will be re-introduced to the area.

Environmental Protection Beerse - Facts & Figures

Environmental protection measures & projects