Our interaction with the natural environment
Air Quality and Emissions
Scope 1 & 2 Emissions
Primarily as a result of our energy demand portfolio, Neo reported total greenhouse gas emissions of 110 thousand metric tons of CO2 equivalent gases (Scope 1 an Scope 2 combined).
- Scope 1 = 13,025 mt CO2e
- Scope 2 = 97,135 mt CO2e
We reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) and other air emissions through improved operating practices and emissions control equipment. Our Scope 1 emissions are not currently subject to emissions-limiting regulations. As 2021 GHG reporting helps us establish an initial baseline of GHG intensity across our operations, we will work toward assessing those performance metrics and intend to quantify potential long term reduction goals, once available.
Nitrogen Oxides (NOx), Sulphur Oxides (SOx), and Other
- NOx = 28.7 metric tons
- SOx = 4.5 metric tons
- VOCs = 6.1 metric tons
- Other HAPs = 112 metric tons
Note that we only monitor pertinent hazardous air pollutants; in addition to the list of HAPs as defined by SASB and the EPA, we also include reported data for emissions of Ammonia (NH3), Ammonium Hydroxide, and Particulate Matter as we believe it is an accurate depiction of air quality and emissions in our communities.
Waste
During 2021, Neo generated 9,705 metric tons of waste. More than half of this (60%) was recycled or otherwise diverted from disposal. 5,186 metric tons qualified as hazardous waste, or 53%, as per local regulatory frameworks. More than half of this hazardous waste was diverted from disposal, or otherwise recycled (2,868 metric tons, or 55%).
Neo also incorporates material recycling in several of its production processes. For example, our Magnequench division recovers metal in scrap materials for re-use in rare earth magnetic materials. We also recover scrap magnets from customers to be crushed and re-used in new products. And, as noted above, our Rare Metals division produces several vital rare metal products from processing industrial waste streams and end-of-life products.