Environmental Policy
Since its incorporation in 1989, the Company established the Fas Agro Eco Policy. This set of guidelines details how environmental considerations should weigh on management decisions. Environmental protection has been a key consideration in all of Fas Agro’s business activities.
Nigeria was one of the 178 nations who agreed by consensus to the 1992 Rio Declaration on Environment and Development (Agenda 21) which emphasises the need to protect and renew the Earth’s resources, and promote environmentally sensitive procurement policies for goods and services.
To undertake efforts to preserve the global environment in Fas Agro’s business activities:
- We consider the environment and use natural resources and energy with great care
- We promote the development and application of new technologies that do not place a burden on the environment
- We aim to raise the level of employee awareness toward environmental protection
- We endeavor to work closely with local communities and society
The scope of this policy covers Fas Agro’s sole site at Sharada Industrial Estate, Phase III, Kano, Nigeria. The policy is review annually in December, in conjunction with the Waste Management Officer Ibrahim Fawaz (Head of Production and Environmental Awareness).
Raw material recycling
Fas Agro presently records the levels of waste it produces from the raw materials it uses (polypropylene and polyethylene) and constantly aims and reducing it. Currently 100% of our raw material is recycled. Any waste from the plastic is shredded and re-used in our machinery. All our raw material (polypropylene and polyethylene.) is delivered in bags made either of polypropylene or polyethylene. All polypropylene bags are recycled on-site by Fas Agro, and all polyethylene bags are sent for recycling to local companies.
Water monitoring
The factory uses very limited water: it is used solely in the chillers to cool the machinery. All our chilling is done in a closed system, which has greatly reduced the water we use. The only loss is through water evaporation. Please see the Water Monitoring Policy for more information.
Electricity
This is our main raw material. It has been vastly reduced over the years by routinely upgrading our machinery (we will be receiving new machines this year as well); all light bulbs have been replaced with energy efficient bulbs (LED). Eight years ago, 100% of our energy came from diesel generators. We have now connected to the government’s 33KW line which is more stable. Now 80% of our electricity comes from the government. Furthermore, we have reduced the usage of our generators from 80% to 20% over five years. We plan to further reduce this usage by putting solar panels on our rooftop to generate 2MW of electricity – this is for 2018; the aim is that this would produce around 20% of our energy needs.
Other waste
All of our waste is separated. We do not produce any toxic waste. Scrap metal (from machinery spare parts) is sent for recycling locally. Batteries are all sent to a local recycling company.
