Sandvik – with economic and environmental sustainability as driving forces

Sandvik produces special steel with circularity as a natural part of their business model. Bringing the waste material back into the production loop is beneficial both from an economic and an environmental point of view.

By entering a partnership with the Swedish Life Cycle Center, Sandvik wants to build further on their leading position within sustainability. We met Mats W Lundberg, Sustainability Specialist at Sandvik and member of the Swedish Life Cycle Center Board.

To the left: Mats W Lundberg, Sustainability Specialist at Sandvik and member of the Swedish Life Cycle Center Board.

Why did you choose to become a partner with Swedish Life Cycle Center?

”We are actively working with the life cycle perspective and see a big potential. With the partnership in Swedish Life Cycle Center we hope to learn more about how other organizations apply their life cycle knowledge on a strategic level, and off course to contribute with our competence.”

What outcomes do you expect, in the long and short run?

“Since our business processes stretches over several different countries, the life cycle perspective can help us calculating our impact and our operations in an easier way. We hope that partners in the center can inspire and share knowledge in this area.“

How can life cycle perspective or life cycle assessments support decisions or develop processes within Sandvik?

”First of all, more and more customers are requesting life cycle data. We need to meet that need. Secondly, we value the information that we can get from life cycle assessments (LCA) to improve knowledge about our own products and processes. It helps us to optimize where, for instance, the energy consumption is high. To enable customers to become more sustainable in their processes by providing them with information about the sustainability aspect of our products is an important dimension of the life cycle perspective.”

What’s going on right now in the life cycle field at Sandvik?

“Right now, Sandvik is mapping a number of products where life cycle data will be added into existing data bases. Competence needs to be built and data need to be integrated. In the long run we are convinced that life cycle information will support many decisions in our operations and consequently can improve our own and our customers’ profitability and environmental footprint.”

Our new partners Sandvik will have a presentation about their business later this year. The time is not set yet, but keep your eyes open for an invitation and seize the chance to get to know our new industry partner better!