Sustainability is key to our future success

Taking responsibility for our impact on the environment, our communities and future generations.

As a global business, operating in more than 50 countries, we recognize the substantial impact of our operations on the diverse communities and economies in which we operate, and on the environment. Omya is committed to balancing economic success with environmental stewardship and social equity, and helping our customers meet their own sustainability goals through the use of our natural mineral solutions.

Setting ambitious sustainability goals worldwide

Our own sustainability performance is a high priority for Omya, with ambitious goals and associated actions in three areas: social, environmental and economic.

Social responsibility

We support local communities through education and charitable work and by funding infrastructure projects where appropriate. Within our own business, we promote human rights compliance and uphold the highest standards of health and safety. We invest in training and development and provide opportunities for our people to further their careers and achieve their ambitions.

Omya employees making a donation of sanitary materials

Environmental responsibility

Omya has committed to achieve carbon neutrality (scope 1 + 2) by 2050 by investing in renewable power generation and energy efficiency projects, purchasing green energy, and replacing fossil fuels with green fuels. We have programs in place to manage resources, foster responsible mining and encourage biodiversity.

Renaturation of our quarries

In 2004, Omya began a biodiversity project with WWF Austria to evaluate the impact of restoration & renaturation activities at our plant and adopt best practice.

With the help of a local school, part of the former Gummern quarry was transformed into a wetlands nature reserve. It now hosts a wide biodiversity of species, including the yellow-bellied toad and the European green lizard.

Economic responsibility

As a privately owned company, Omya believes in the importance of transparent, ethical business processes and working in partnership with customers, suppliers and other stakeholders. We support the economies of local communities and developing countries through job creation, local procurement and supporting small businesses. We want everyone that works with Omya to prosper.

Supporting customers in reaching their sustainability goals

In all our markets, customers are increasingly focused on improving sustainability, reducing carbon footprint and meeting their own ESG targets. We work closely with customers to support their sustainability initiatives, primarily through the supply of natural minerals as raw materials.

Our technical teams, backed by our investment in laboratories, trials and pilot projects, develop products to solve specific customer challenges.

Carbon footprint reduction

We provide natural mineral solutions with a low carbon footprint to replace existing raw materials with a high carbon footprint. For example, in polymers, up to 60% of plastic can be replaced with Omya calcium carbonate, significantly reducing the carbon footprint of the end product.

Operator safety

Customers reduce risk in their processes by using our natural mineral products to replace higher risk materials. For example, in water treatment, our calcium carbonate slurries offer a direct replacement to highly dangerous chemicals such as caustic soda or lime, without any compromise on efficiency.

Lightweighting

The use of lightweight fillers dramatically reduces the weight of end products, particularly in the construction industry, where our products contribute to significant reductions in transport costs and associated emissions, improvements in safety and greater affordability of end products.

Resource use efficiency

Our products help customers achieve better results from existing (or fewer) resources, maximizing resource use efficiency and reducing waste. For example, in agriculture, our soil conditioners optimize soil pH to maximize nutrient availability, improving crop productivity and ensuring farmers realize the full value of their applied fertilizers.

Human and animal health

The addition of minerals to food for both humans and animals contributes to global health in the population and the food supply chain. For example, our calcium fortification products for cereals, bakery and dairy products contribute to a reduction in diseases such as osteoporosis.

Process improvements

Omya products are used in many industries to increase process efficiency and reduce costs. For example, in the paperboard industry, the addition of calcium carbonate as a filler can be used to reduce drying energy or increase line speeds.

Calcium carbonate – a sustainable resource with low carbon footprint

Calcium carbonates, such as limestone, marble and chalk, are natural and renewable as defined by ISO 14021. Nearly 4% of the Earth’s crust is composed of forms of calcium carbonate, one of the most common raw materials in nature. It is continuously replenished by natural cycles in rivers, lakes, and oceans or formed as minerals, for example, from shells or skeletons.

Because of this, renewing calcium carbonate does not involve any energy-consuming chemical reaction, leaving the carbon footprint substantially lower than that of many of the raw materials it replaces. As a bio-mineralized or naturally produced resource, calcium carbonate is constantly renewed by natural processes, ensuring that reserves are available for many future generations. The replenishment rate exceeds the consumption rate, meeting the criteria for a renewable material.