Materials Stewardship

Management of Risks Associated with the Transport, Handling & Storage of Raw Materials

Processing and marketing often require bulk transportation, handling and storage, either in bulk or in packaged form, until they reach final customers. It is often in these two final stages of the mine-to-market process that chemical & physical hazards and risks to humans and the environment are greater, thus calling for much greater focus and stricter measures to be adopted for their management. “Materials Stewardship” is the responsible provision of materials and supervision of material flows towards the creation of maximum societal value and minimum impact on man and the environment.

In practice, Materials Stewardship is about:

  • Understanding the social, environmental and economic impacts of your material as it moves through its life cycle from mining to use and through to the end of its life.
  • Developing relationships with other actors along the life cycle who can promote beneficial and appropriate use of your material or who can minimize risks to human health and the environment.
  • Taking action on appropriate stewardship activities for the part of the life cycle you directly control. For the areas outside your direct control, but where you have influence, work with and encourage other actors in the life cycle to play their part.

The business benefits of pursuing materials stewardship include:

  • Improvements in the efficiency of industrial & supply chain processes
  • Access to secondary resources
  • Eliminating exposure to hazardous materials and optimizing product design to enhance durability
  • Recycling and wider access to markets

Eco-Efficiency Consulting & Engineering Ltd, can help you at drafting your own “Good Practice Guidance” according to the Materials Stewardship principles, as we have already done for the International Council on Mining & Metals (ICMM).