C2. Pollution Prevention and Resource Reduction

Code 7.0

Emissions and discharges of pollutants and generation of waste are to be minimized or eliminated at the source or by practices such as adding pollution control equipment; modifying production, maintenance and facility processes; or by other means. The use of natural resources, including water, fossil fuels, minerals and virgin forest products, is to be conserved by practices such as modifying production, maintenance and facility processes, materials substitution, re-use, conservation, recycling or other means.

C2.1 Adequate and effective programs, including objectives and targets, to identify, manage, minimize or eliminate at the source emissions and discharges of pollutants and generation of waste and conserve the use of natural resources

Conformance Requirements

Record Review

• 1. Policy
  • a. Adequate and effective programs to identify, manage, minimize or eliminate at the source emissions and discharges of pollutants, generation of waste and conserve the use of natural resources, including:
    • i. Materiality assessment: identify significant environmental aspects and establish programs for monitoring and control of these aspects.
    • ii. Clear annual objectives and targets are set for each identified material emission source, waste (including hazardous waste) and natural resource used, demonstrating annual progress not entailing excessive cost:
      • 1. Reduce resource consumption.
      • 2. Reduce waste and pollution generation.
      • 3. Capture or reuse materials that would otherwise enter waste streams.
• 2. Records
  • a. Materiality assessment (updated when changes occur in machinery, process, materials used or facility).
  • b. Data for each material emission and discharge of pollutants, waste and natural resource.

Management Interview

• 1. Their materiality analysis, and explain which pollution reduction and resource conservation programs have been developed and implemented.
• 2. How and what reduction objectives have been set for each of the material environmental impacts:
  • a. Reduce resource consumption.
  • b. Reduce waste and pollution generation.
  • c. Capture or reuse materials that would otherwise enter waste streams.

Worker Interview

• 1. Workers are aware of programs to conserve resources and minimize generation of wastes of all types.
• 2. Workers responsible for directly supporting the facility's resource reduction and waste generation goals are aware of their role and can describe their involvement in the program.

Site Observations

• Not Applicable.

Additional assistance

Record Review

• 1. Elimination or minimization, e.g. by practices such as adding pollution control equipment; modifying production, maintenance and facility processes; or by other means.
• 2. Natural resources, e.g. water, fossil fuels, minerals and virgin forest products.
• 3. Conservation of the use of natural resources, e.g. by practices such as modifying production, maintenance and facility processes, materials substitution, re-use, conservation, recycling or other means.
• 4. Reduction programs are implemented where they don't present increased worker harm or excessive cost.
• 5. The goal of this provision is to confirm that a facility has done a materiality assessment and understands its material resource use and environmental impacts, and has set clear annual objectives to reduce this impact.
• 6. The implementation of the programs to meet these reduction objectives is covered in the individual environmental media provisions C3, C4, C5, C7 and C8.

Rating

Remote Verification Acceptable: Yes

1.0.0 (2021-01-01)

Changed

• Initial and only release — Pollution Prevention and Resource Reduction (RBA Code of Conduct 7.0); discontinued after VAP 7.0.0: Initial and only release (published as Code C2 in VAP 7.0.0). Required adequate and effective programs — including objectives and targets — to identify, manage, minimize or eliminate at the source emissions and discharges of pollutants and the generation of waste, and to conserve the use of natural resources. Required a materiality assessment of significant environmental aspects and clear annual reduction objectives and targets for each material emission source, waste (including hazardous waste) and natural resource used. Discontinued after VAP 7.0.0: dropped from VAP 7.1.2 onward, with its requirements folded into the environmental management system and the individual environmental media provisions (C3, C4, C5, C7, C8). The C2 code was subsequently reused by the C2-Hazardous-Substances criterion.