Corporate Social Responsibility

THE ENVIRONMENT

The Environment

Water conservation and liquid waste

Swire companies generate around 5.7 million cubic metres of wastewater per year. On this environmental issue, Swire's efforts focus on reducing wastewater volumes, increasing wastewater recycling, and ensuring the purity of wastewater discharge through proper monitoring and treatment when applicable.

By installing a continuous batch washer, Vogue Laundry saves up to 280 tonnes of water and 60 kilos of detergent a day. Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering uses phenol-free detergents to wash aircraft at its maintenance facility at Hong Kong International Airport, and has a dedicated washing bay with its own wastewater treatment plant to clean water of contaminants before discharging into the sewerage system. Cathay Pacific Catering Services has installed soaking tanks in its 'ware-wash' section for in-flight meal utensils, saving around 22,400 litres of water a day.

The efficient use of water and protection of the grazing resource base are major issues for Australian agricultural landowner, Clyde Agriculture. Wastage of irrigation water is minimised by the application of the latest technology, including the use of laser-levelled fields and radio-linked capacitance probes, which precisely measure crop water use and reduce soil water losses. GPS-linked tractor guidance systems are used to achieve 'dead straight' rows and common wheel tracks, thus minimising soil compaction, and the company has established Australia's largest drip irrigation trial. On the grazing properties, livestock numbers are limited, and notwithstanding the semi-arid regions in which the company operates, steps are continually taken to enhance the pasture base. The company has adopted the latest genetically modified cotton varieties, which have seen the reliance on insecticides more than halved. Where chemicals are used, strict application procedures are followed via Pesticide Application Management Plans and the use of GPS technology. All cotton farms are equipped with data logged weather stations, to ensure that the application of chemicals occurs in appropriate weather conditions, thus maximising the efficacy of the product while minimising risks such as product drift.

In 2006, Swire SITA completed construction of Mainland China's largest and most sophisticated chemical waste incinerator, a joint venture with the Shanghai Chemical Industrial Park. With a capacity of 60,000 tonnes a year, the plant is the only one of its kind in China to operate to European Community standards. CSR, a Swire SITA subsidiary, has won the design, build and operation contract for the new Macau hazardous waste incinerator; the facility is scheduled for commissioning in mid-2007.