68%
of waste recovered at VINCI’s concessions in 2022
Given their extensive international operations, VINCI Concessions companies must find solutions to help reduce waste in landfills. VINCI Concessions has thus set a target of zero waste to landfill by 2030, by focusing on the following actions:
This poses a particularly significant challenge in countries with underdeveloped waste recovery systems. For instance, following the example of Salvador Bahia airport in Brazil, Belgrade airport in Serbia has installed its own sorting centftraitre. This new process prevents waste from the terminal, offices, cargo activities and dining areas from systematically going to landfill. A partner company recycles any waste that can be recycled, while the rest is sent for incineration. This facility has increased the waste recycling rate from 7% in 2021 to 57% in 2022.
Airports are also working with some airlines on developing a cabin waste sorting policy during flights. For health reasons, international regulations strictly require specific disposal methods, such as incineration (preferred) or sterilisation before sending waste to landfill. That means that a large amount of waste is not recovered. The aim is therefore to separate any plastics, cardboard and other materials (water bottles, cups, cans, cardboard, magazines, etc.) at source that have not been in contact with food of animal origin. The airport then separates this cabin waste into two separate containers for recovery or recycling. Nantes Atlantique, Lyon-Saint Exupéry and London Gatwick airports were the first to trial this solution with easyJet. In Lyon, more than 14 tonnes of the airline’s waste have been collected since 1 January 2022 and an average of 81% has been recycled. Targets set for 2023 aim to improve performance and extend this project to the entire VINCI Airports network.
Among motorway concessions outside France, Lima Expresa in Peru won first place in the 2022 ProActivo Awards in the category “State entities and civil society institutions linked to the energy mining sector”, for its “Circular economy initiative with social progress” project. This project promotes the recycling of waste and gender equality through the participation of women from vulnerable population groups. Women can therefore gain financial independence through their work in waste recovery.
18 sites
with zero waste to landfill for VINCI Concessions in 2022
VINCI Energies and the Major Projects Division of VINCI Construction have pledged to recover 80% and 90% of their waste respectively by 2030. Some entities set precise goals, including the Building France Division of VINCI Construction, which has laid down specific worksite waste recovery targets in its framework document, such as sorting all waste and reaching a recycling rate of 80% by 2030. At 31 December 2022, VINCI Construction’s Major Projects Division achieved a waste recovery rate of 69% and its Building France and Civil Engineering France divisions together reached a rate of 75%. On a more local scale, the Greater Paris New build housing and Greater Paris Renovated housing delegations (Building France Division, VINCI Construction) have also developed an overall waste reduction policy, promoting actions in the field, such as signs made from stone paper at worksites and a virtual catalogue of housing units.
These commitments were translated into concrete actions in 2022. For example, Signature (Networks France Division, VINCI Construction) installed a recycler that treats solvents used to clean marking machines and residue from pots of solvent-based paint. This initiative reduces waste, with nearly 70% of spent solvent recycled. The project to renovate 142 housing units in Molsheim, near Strasbourg, carried out by Urban Dumez (Building France Division of VINCI Construction), also illustrates the teams’ commitment. Waste from the removal of the 1,200 windows to be replaced is being recovered by storing the frames in special sorting bins on the worksite. Réseau Origami has been contracted to manage these bins. It collects the waste, which is further sorted in its Strasbourg workshop. The various categories of waste from the windows (plastic profiles, metal parts and glass) are then sent to different manufacturers to be used in producing new components. For example, glass from the old windows is crushed and sent to Saint-Gobain to be used to make new windows, while the PVC is dispatched to Veka, also for use in the manufacture of new windows.
