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Australian Mining Companies Try to Scrap Old Equipment Australia's top mining firms are putting pressure on local suppliers to destroy old equipment and minimize the carbon footprint of their trucks to cut greenhouse gas emissions and waste. In view of their own environmental, social, and governance accountability, Rio Tinto Group, BHP Group, and Fortescue Metals Group Ltd. are analyzing the carbon footprint of their suppliers' equipment.
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iners have made headway in lowering their global share of emissions to 2.8 percent in 2020, down from 3.4 percent in 2016. Still, consumers and investors are putting a lot of pressure on them to reduce their carbon footprints and enhance their sustainability. In an interview, Matthew Perry (Schlam Group's technical support manager) noted, "We've noticed an increase in demand for mining firms seeking to 'complete the
loop' on their assets as part of their supply agreements with companies like us."
Less junk, more scrap According to research firm Grand View Research, mining businesses spent US$119 billion on mining equipment in 2019, and that figure is anticipated to rise over the next decade. When the equipment is no longer in use, it can be recycled because it is made of iron,
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steel, and rubber. For the past 25 years, companies have discarded some of their old equipment, while others have been allowed to rot on the job site. "There are many old truck bodies lying on mine grounds in the Pilbara where it's uneconomic to do something with them," said David Singleton, CEO of Austin Engineering Ltd, an equipment provider. "And for that, we're looking at economic and engineering solutions."
