ENVIRONMENT

At Leriva we are committed to doing all that we can to protect the environment. We fully understand that the disposal of waste, particularly in landfills, poses a long-term risk of soil, surface and ground water contamination. Liquid and soluble components leaking from landfills ultimately endanger the health of people living nearby, and of the communities that depend on natural water sources downstream.

To effectively manage the waste that we produce, we have instituted a series of waste-reduction, recycling and waste-management initiatives. We collect paper that can be recycled in bins and dispose it through the municipal recycling system. Empty ink cartridges are collected in containers and disposed of in an appropriate manner. We dispose of used batteries in purpose-marked bins which are then collected by AFIS, a government-approved recycling company, for collection and recycling. We have also implemented measures to reduce electricity consumption in our offices, workshops and warehouse. These measures include more efficient temperature setting of air-conditioners, wider introduction of LED lighting, reduction in the number of printers and replacement with more environmentally efficient models.

Our instruments and analyzers that are installed in hospital laboratories and outpatient facilities across the country, and which play such a vital role in detecting, monitoring, preventing and treating diseases and other medical conditions, ultimately reach an end-of-life stage. This happens either due to obsolescence, where in today’s fast-paced technological environment equipment becomes outdated and inefficient, or through regular wear and tear.

The computers, laptops, servers, peripherals, telephones and other electronic equipment that we use in our daily activities and which are so essential in basically every aspect of our daily activities, eventually must be replaced or upgraded. Where such equipment can still be used, we to donate it. In all other instances we temporarily store and accumulate such decommissioned equipment so that it may ultimately be channeled through a recycling scheme.

At Leriva we recognize that the recycling of waste from electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) is particularly important, not so much for material recovery but mainly for the management of the hazardous materials they contain. We participate in the collective system for the alternative management of waste from electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) operated by Appliances Recycling SA. The basic purpose of this company is to coordinate all the stages of WEEE management, which include collection, transportation, temporary storage, separation and treatment of WEEE or/and their components. As part of this process, environmentally harmful substances are removed, and recoverable materials are reused in the production of new products.

The reagents that are used in our instruments to perform blood and urine tests, the pharmaceutical products that we market and which are used in in-vivo diagnostic tests, and the range of nutritional supplements that consumers buy to enhance their health and wellness, are not all ultimately consumed or used. Some are returned by customers for a variety of reasons, most notably expiry dates. Others may expire before even being shipped to customers. In most instances, chemicals such as catalysts, solvents, acids and bases, intermediates, surfactants, biocides, colorants, flavorings and a wide variety of excipients, some of which may be hazardous, are used in the production of these products. Leriva prudently manages and strictly controls the disposal of products that are not ultimately consumed or used. Customer returned products which have expired or are short-dated, and other non-conforming products are separately stored in designated areas in our warehouse. Periodically, and once a sizeable number of such non-conforming products is accumulated, their disposal is entrusted to a certified hazardous-waste management company.