Environmental Impact Classification for metal distribution – MCB empowered by Province of Noord-Brabant

 Overview

Company Description

MCB is the leading metal distributor in the Benelux. From its head office in Valkenswaard MCB guides its operating companies in the Netherlands, Belgium, France and Germany. These operating companies are active as wholesalers and Service Centers in metal, including steel, stainless steel, aluminium, copper and brass. The performance of customer-specific orders in the Service Center and Production Operation Center is a significant added value. The companies within the MCB Group take on the role of intermediary in the production and supply chain through delivering the correct materials to the right place and on time. MCB is continually looking for ways to improve the added value for both customers and suppliers. Through expanding the range of products, but also through creative solutions and advice about applications and the processing of products. More than 1000 employees are active within the MCB Group.

Project Description

This year MCB developed its Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) for the coming years.

7 Affordable and clean energy :

We minimize our energy consumption. We do this by installing solar panels and LED lighting, monitoring our energy consumption and renovating our offices accordingly. We monitor our energy consumption per machine, this way we’ll have insight into the large-scale users. This give us the opportunity to take immediate action. MCB NL wants to self-generate 100% of its electricity usage by 2030. And by 2035, we intent to reduce our gas consumption to a minimum and to generate our energy consumption entirely from our own renewable sources.

12 Responsible consumption and production :

We try to encourage our customers to purchase and use more recycled and environmentally friendly materials. In addition, we try to recycle our packaging material as much as possible. When it comes to our wooden packaging, we currently recycle 6% annually of the inbound packaging; our so-called ‘Wood4Wood’ program aims to achieve 100% recycled (wooden) packaging.

13 Climate action :

We commit to achieving our goal to reduce 50% of our total CO2 emissions by 2030. We aim to drive our trucks more economically and efficiently. We’ll offer more CO2 -friendly metal allowing for our customers to purchase more environmentally friendly products, which ultimately accounts for a CO2 -reduction within the entire chain. In addition, we are starting a pilot to improve our short-distance journeys with electric- and hydrogen-powered trucks where we switch completely to electric passenger cars by 2026 and switch completely to electric or hydrogen-powered trucks in 2040.

To be able to reduce our scope 3 environmental impact we will set up an Environmental Impact Classification for metal distribution in 2023. 

Goals of the Project

Introduce an MCB Environmental Impact Classification for the product groups steel, stainless steel and aluminium

Deliverables

CO2 emission data from our suppliers needs to be identified and compared in order to be able to define the current CO2 levels per product group.

In the metal sector, no independent and uniform environmental impact classification exists yet.

In 2023 we will prepare our own Environmental Impact Classification, based on classification from other sectors. The classification values are different for steel, stainless steel and aluminum. The classification runs from A (lowest impact) to G (highest impact), in kg CO2 per ton of metal. The classification indicates the average worldwide emission of the product, MCB’s current product emissions, MCB 2035 target, MCB green products and is actively promoted to customers and suppliers.

More information: escf@tue.nl