In 2021, as part of the Requalification Service, JANZ reused 32,000 meter bodies, equivalent to approximately 32 tons of brass. With this reuse, it managed to avoid the emission of around 12 thousand kilos of CO2 (1) into the atmosphere, the equivalent of 19 return flights between Lisbon and Rome.
The reuse of brass has numerous environmental benefits that begin with the reduction of areas degraded by the extraction of the minerals that constitute it, namely copper and zinc. Brass is characterized by its ability to be recycled indefinitely and, as it is more profitable than making it from raw materials, it is also one of the most recycled metals in the world.
The properties of brass allow it to be infinitely recycled without any degradation of its metallic structure, also making the process of reusing the water meter body a more economically advantageous solution.
Whenever JANZ reuses a brass body to refurbish a meter, it contributes to energy savings that are reflected in the smelting process of this metal, corresponding to 293 kWh of electricity for each ton melted (2), which results in a lower CO2 emissions, the amounts of which depend on the energy mix of the country where the smelting takes place.
The practice of Reuse of brass bodies and, consequently, of Requalification of water meters, has a long history in the Portuguese market and is today, more than ever, sought after by management entities, motivated and committed, themselves, to contribute for this significant contribution of energy, ecological and economic savings in the management of its meter parks. Requalifying water meters means updating the meter technologically and metrologically, actively contributing to the reduction of the carbon footprint.
In addition to reusing brass, JANZ seeks to extend the concept of sustainability to all its activities, adopting good practices that aim to protect the environment and leave a promising future for the next generations. As part of its sustainability policies, reusing and recycling are a permanent concern of the company.
In the first quarter of 2022, 40 kilos of tungsten carbide waste, present in carbide cutting tools used in spinners and in the machining of counter bodies, were sent for recycling. Tungsten carbide is considered a very valuable metal in the industry, due to its low abundance in nature and demanding mining, which needs a large amount of ore to extract a small amount of tungsten.
JANZ is involved in a constant search for new ways to reuse and recycle all possible waste, from the simplest, such as cardboard boxes, to the most complex, such as brass and tungsten. We believe that this is the way to a more efficient and competitive, innovative and sustainable economy.
(1) Number based on the calculation of the average value of CO2 emissions from the 13 main countries with production in the smelter area, based on the amount of CO2 emitted resulting from the respective energy mixes. In WANERHOLM, Martin; (2016) Climate Impact Of Metal-Casting; Swerea SWECAST AB.
(2) WANERHOLM, Martin; (2016) Climate Impact Of Metal-Casting; Swerea SWECAST AB.
Source: JANZ
