Covanta, a world leader in sustainable waste and energy solutions, Friday released its latest Sustainability Report, detailing its sustainability performance and progress against goals.

"At Covanta, we work every day to protect tomorrow," said Covanta President and CEO Stephen J. Jones. "Our operations help communities, clients and customers find practical solutions to waste and materials management while generating clean energy. By running our business responsibly, efficiently and profitably, we are addressing the three pillars of sustainability: people, planet and prosperity."

The report details specific progress in Covanta's sustainability focus areas, which include: Materials Management, Environmental, Community Relations, Safety and Health, and Workforce Engagement. Highlights from the report include:

-- Avoided, recycled or reused over 900,000 tons of waste (a 60 percent increase), meeting a goal four years early

-- Achieved a two-fold increase in non-ferrous metals recovered for recycling over the past five years – Covanta now recycles more than 510,000 tons of metal annually

-- Increased use of alternative water sources. Reclaimed wastewater, stormwater, saline water and once-through cooling discharge now comprise 35 percent of process water utilized

-- Partnered with communities and law enforcement to safely destroy over 4 million pounds of unwanted medications through the Rx4Safety program, helping to curb abuse and protect water supplies

-- Continued to make workplace safety the top priority: 26 Covanta facilities and/or groups were awarded the Occupational Excellence Achievement Award by the National Safety Council

-- Supported the transition of military veterans into the workforce with over 150 new veteran hires. Veterans now represent 15 percent of the Covanta employee base.

"Sustainably isn't just the way we conduct our business, it is our business," said Paul Gilman, Covanta's chief sustainability officer. "Environmental and social responsibility are at the core of everything we do. Therefore, our sustainability goals guide not only our work in the sustainable waste management sector, but also ensure we provide a safe and diverse workplace for our employees, continue our practice of developing and maintaining strong ties with local communities and maintain our track record of delivering 'beyond compliance' environmental performance. I'm very pleased with the considerable strides we have made toward achieving our targets."

The complete report, prepared in accordance with the latest Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) guidelines, is available on Covanta’s Sustainability Report webpage.

In Pennsylvania, Covanta operates energy-from-waste facilities in Dauphin, Delaware, Lancaster, Montgomery and York counties, a metals recycling facility in Bucks County and ECOvanta, an electronics waste recycling operation in Philadelphia.

For more information on its facilities in Pennsylvania and around the world, visit the Covanta website.

[Posted: Dec. 15, 2017]

12/18/2017