beyond aluminum · for more than a decade, concerns about fuel efficiency have been encouraging...

BEYOND ALUMINUM ALERIS ALUMINUM DUFFEL 2O18 SUSTAINABILITY REPORT

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BEYOND ALUMINUM2O18 SUSTAINABILITY REPORT ALERIS ALUMINUM DUFFEL


Letter Plant Manager ................................................................................................................................................................. 1

About Aleris ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 2

Industries Served ......................................................................................................2In this Report ...........................................................................................................2

Sustainability at Aleris .............................................................................................................................................................. 3

Stakeholder Engagement ...........................................................................................3

Realizing the Potential of Aluminum .............................................................................................................................. 4

Innovating for the Future ...........................................................................................5

Partnering with Customers for Success ....................................................................................................................... 7

Partnering for Innovation ...........................................................................................8Improving Sustainability Up and Down Our Value Chain ................................................. 12

Biodiversity............................................................................................................ 12

Doing the Right Thing for Our People and World...................................................................................................13Improving Environmental Performance ........................................................................ 14

Creating a Safe and Healthy Workplace ...................................................................... 18

Investing in Our Employees....................................................................................... 20

Operating Responsibly and Being Involved ..............................................................................................................23

Governing for Success ............................................................................................. 24

Engaging with Our Communities ............................................................................... 26

Table of Contents



1

DEAR STAKEHOLDER,

It is with great pleasure that I present you our 2018 sustainability report for Aleris Aluminum Duffel.

Sustainability is at the core of our operations. Our sustainability goals focus on the environmental, social and government issues that matter most to our business and our stakeholders.

To meet these goals, we closely collaborate with both our customers and suppliers. We not only strive to increase the amount of recycled content in our products, we also work with our customers to develop new processes and solutions that have a sustainable impact. We demand from our suppliers that they respect the same high standards as we do.

We are also very focused on being a responsible employer and good corporate citizen. The safety of our employees and the health of their families are among our core values. We want Aleris Aluminum Duffel to be a safe and good place to work. If we want to meet the demands of our customers and stakeholders, we need the support and engagement of all our employees. Together, we build a sustainable future.

Best regards,

Letter Plant Manager

GEERT VANNUFFELEN

Vice President Operations Aleris Aluminum Duffel


2

Our customers in these industries are sophisticated and innovative, and Aleris brings the quality, technology, creativity and customization necessary to meet and exceed our customers’ expectations.

INDUSTRIES SERVED

We sell our diverse range of products to a variety of end-use industries, including:

Building & Construction

Commercial Transportation

Automotive

Aleris Aluminum Duffel BVBA is an aluminum rolling mill operation based in Duffel (Belgium), located on the banks of the river Nete. Aleris Aluminum Duffel is part of Aleris and one of the three Aleris production plants in Europe.

The history of the Duffel plant dates back to 1946, when Lucien Féron decided to start an aluminum processing plant, called SIDAL (Société Industrielle de l’Aluminium). In 1970, Dutch steel and aluminum group Hoogovens Groep acquired a minority stake in SIDAL. This was followed by a full takeover by Koninklijke Hoogovens NV in 1983. In order to guarantee further growth, it was decided in 1999 to merge with British Steel. Due to the fact that this new group was focusing on the production of both steel and aluminum, the name was changed to Corus. In March 2006, the aluminum division of Corus was acquired by Aleris. Since then, the plant is known as Aleris Aluminum Duffel.

Today, Aleris Aluminum Duffel employs around 1.000 people and annually produces 200.000 tons of high-value aluminum rolled products.

CONTACT INFORMATION

We value feedback from our stakeholders regarding our sustainability performance and the content of this report. Please direct any comments, questions or concerns to:

[email protected]

About AlerisEND-USE ALERIS ALUMINUM DUFFEL 2O18

IN THIS REPORT

This report is an addendum to the 2017 global sustainability report of Aleris and focuses on the sustainability activities of Aleris Aluminum Duffel. It contains performances, figures and information of 2016, 2017 and 2018. This information by no means changes the policies and figures mentioned in the global 2017 sustainability report.

The sustainability goals focus on the environmental, social and governance issues that matter most to the business and stakeholders of Aleris Aluminum Duffel.

This report is developed in accordance with the Global Reporting Initiative’s (GRI) G4 Core guidelines. For a complete GRI Index and list of G4 disclosures, please consult the global 2017 sustainability report.

50% Automotive

17% Building & Construction

12% Distribution

12% Other

9% Commercial Transportation


3

We believe that Aleris and aluminum play an important role in improving the sustainability performance of the customers we serve. We are working to reduce our environmental footprint and increase the use of recycled content in our products. Our high-quality aluminum rolled products serve the upfront development of light-weight sustainable products with direct and indirect positive impact on the environment.

In order to minimize the use of prime materials and to improve the ecological footprint of our products, recycling of rolled scrap, process scrap, scrap on the open market and end-of-life scrap is part of our business.

Sustainability at Aleris

STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT

We continuously work to develop innovative solutions that will better position aluminum as the material of choice for customers seeking high-performance and sustainable products. Through formal and informal business channels, we regularly engage with key stakeholders including customers, suppliers and industry organizations to stay abreast of sustainability opportunities, risks and emerging trends.

To stay engaged with our industry peers and other important stakeholders, we participate in a number of association groups and membership organizations.

Aleris Aluminum Duffel is a member of:

• The Materials Industries Group of Agoria, the federation of technology-inspired companies in Belgium

• European Aluminium (EA) – Rolling, Extrusion, Casting and Foundries Group

• Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) – Production and Transformation Group

Stakeholder Group Engagement Approach Topics

Customers Seminars, in-person meetings, plant visits

Product innovation, closed-loop opportunities, environmental footprint, recyclability

Employees Local town hall meetings, Market Place, InformAL, trainings

Business strategy, safety, progress on key initiatives, team spirit

Suppliers In-person meetings, plant visits Material sourcing, environmental footprint, process optimization

Industry Groups Membership and participation Industry trends, regulatory updates

Communities Outreach, emergency response, volunteer opportunities

Safety, disaster relief, community reinvestment

(Local) government Biennial meeting Regulatory requirements, environment, safety

The table below lists our primary stakeholder groups, our methods to engage them and the topics we address

Aluminum is, in many ways, an

inherently sustainable product. It's

versatile, lightweight and can be

recycled repeatedly, which makes it

extremely competitive when compared

to other materials. Furthermore,

aluminum products made with recycled

content require 95 percent less energy

than products made with primary

aluminum.1 At Aleris, we are harnessing

this unique material to pioneer game-

changing solutions to create a

better world.

REALIZING THE POTENTIAL OF ALUMINUM

1 European Aluminium and Aluminum Association


5INNOVATING FOR THE FUTURE

Customer product requirements increasingly include sustainability attributes. The automotive industry is seeking ways to further light-weight components, reduce manufacturing waste, increase use of sustainable materials and improve end-of-life recyclability. The building and construction industry are also looking for sustainable materials to meet the demand for greener building homes.

To meet these evolving customer demands, Aleris Aluminum Duffel is constantly investing in innovative technologies, new production techniques and state-of-the-art production processes. This drives innovation in materials, recyclability and process efficiency.

In Duffel, recent initiatives include:

• Definition of alloys, processes and products that allow automotive customers to move from steel to aluminum bodies, and enable the use of high levels of recycled content or closed-loop partnerships with our customers.

• Particular focus on corrosion-resistant external body sheet that provides larger design freedom due to improved formability and increased passenger and pedestrian safety in the event of a crash.

• Aleris Aluminum Duffel’s aluminum rolling mill produces several alloys suitable for anodizing and optimized for architectural end-use. These anodizing qualities are at best used for exterior façades, roofs, balconies, sun ventilation screens and interior ceilings, pillars, or wall cladding and escalator casing. To fulfill contemporary demand for critical applications Aleris developed a premium alloy: 55HX®. This alloy – which offers guaranteed color and gloss uniformity and a unique look between production batches – is state-of-the-art material for architectural applications.

Manchester Owen Street Towers

The new Owen Street Towers in Manchester (UK) project includes four residential towers providing 1,500 apartments and exclusive penthouses. The main tower, at more than 200m in height, will be the tallest building in the U.K. outside London. The façade is made of modules including glazed and spandrel units with inward opening vents. External perforated 55HX® aluminum sheets in 4mm thickness, 25µm dark grey anodized, are used in order to dim the sunlight.

Case Study


6Case Study

Aluminum takes an ever-widening role in electric vehicles

For more than a decade, concerns about fuel efficiency have been encouraging OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) to replace steel with aluminum on vehicle bodies. Apart from society’s demand for sustainable solutions, aluminum is offering an answer to four major design challenges which confront OEMs in their transition to electric vehicles:

• Extending vehicle range The lighter the vehicle, the longer its range. The larger the vehicle, the heavier the battery and casing required to optimize the EV’s (Electrical Vehicle's) range. Larger EVs such as sedans, SUVs, taxis, trucks and buses, will take the greatest advantages from a steel-to-aluminum conversion.

• Optimizing battery and passenger safety The thermal and anti-corrosion properties of aluminum make it ideal for battery frames. Casing floor plates made out of aluminum are not only strong, but also capable of resisting corrosion related to weather exposure.

• Dispersing heat The batteries used in EVs produce energy while charging and decharging, requiring the use of heat exchangers to dissipate heat. Aluminum heat exchangers designed specifically to meet the challenges presented by electric vehicles can use as many as five types of aluminum sandwiched together, with the layers providing gradient properties to optimize cooling.

• Increasing passenger comfort and visibility The luxury sedan market will likely be the first to transition to self-driving electric vehicles. Passenger comfort and safety, and an expansive view of the surrounding environment, are expected to be top priorities for this market. To enable large windows and an unobstructed view without sacrificing passenger safety, lightweight aluminum will be the strong material of choice.

At Aleris, our success depends upon

our customers’ ability to meet their

financial, product and sustainability

goals. Aluminum offers innovative

customer applications that not only

enhance product performance, but also

improve the environmental profile of

their products and operations.

PARTNERING WITH CUSTOMERS FOR SUCCESS

ALERIS ALUMINUM DUFFEL 2O18 SUSTAINABILITY REPORT

8PARTNERING FOR INNOVATION

We are partnering with our customers to:

• understand their key business and sustainability drivers to initiate new product development;

• implement closed-loop manufacturing processes to help them reduce waste and incorporate more recycled content into their products;

• pursue life cycle assessments (LCAs) and environmental certification to quantify the environmental benefits of certain products.

LIFECYCLE ASSESSMENTS (LCA)

Aleris Aluminum Duffel started in 2012 with an annual Environmental Life Cycle Assessment of its automotive products. The results of this assessment are communicated to interested stakeholders and customers. As from 2018, also the non-automotive products are assessed and reported.

The findings of the LCA reports are used to further reduce the environmental impact of our products over the total lifecycle.

PARTNERING WITH CUSTOMERS FOR SUCCESS | PARTNERING FOR INNOVATION


9

Automotive LCA results

The LCA reports of our automotive products show a year-on-year improvement in the reduction of the associated Global Warming Potential (GWP). This is driven by the following actions:

Aleris also strives for a continuous reduction of the environmental footprint in the production process of its semi-finished products. For automotive, following initiatives were launched:

• The use of secondary raw material, such as pre- and post-consumer scrap and assuring its use by means of closed-loop partnerships with our customers.

• Optimization of the manufacturing process of our products, for example through insourcing the cold rolling of wide automotive body sheet.

• Quality improvements leading to less rejects, rework and reallocation and thus to fewer waste products that need to be reproduced.

• The use of green energy only for the production process in Duffel. This has a positive effect on all the processes in the Duffel routing.

• Actions and investments to consume less energy or to reduce energy losses, e.g. the heat recuperation at the CALP (= Continuous Annealing Line with Pre-treatment) line.

• The implementation of a multimodal transport system (truck-train-truck) leading to significant savings of the CO2 emissions related to transport.

• The introduction of trainings and checklists to be used during the product design phase. These are focusing on the GWP impact of decisions early in the production development process.

GWP PERFORMANCE ALERIS SUPERLITE 2OO (R) AND ECOLITE (R) 2O12-2O17

2O12 2O13 2O14 2O15 2O16 2O17

GWP

[KGC

O2EQ

/KG]

8

9

1O

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

O

GWP associated with SUPERLITE 200® [kgCO2eq/kg]

GWP associated with ECOLITE® [kgCO2eq/kg]

Total GWP associated with SUPERLITE 200® and ECOLITE®

Average GWP 100% prime al ingots + sheet production Europe (EAA figures) [kgCO2eq/kg]

Average GWP 100% secondary al ingots + sheet production Europe (EAA figures) [kgCO2eq/kg]

Lineair (Total GWP associated with SUPERLITE 200® and ECOLITE® )


10Case Study

Heat recuperation at the CALP line

The CALP (= Continuous Annealing Line with Pre-treatment) line is fed by coils from cold rolling to receive an annealing treatment and possible additional treatments.

The total length of the line amounts to 1.100 meters on which the following treatments take place: decoiling, degreasing, annealing, stretching, pickling, passivating, border cutting, lubricating and rolling up again. Of these treatments, annealing is the most important one: by using a temperature between 450°C and 585°C, the mechanical properties are determined conform the demands of the customer.

The CALP line supplies semi-finished products which are being forged by our clients to bodywork parts for the automotive industry.

An optimization of the CALP (Continuous Annealing Line and Pretreatment) in 2017 significantly reduced our energy consumption with 6.889 GJp. It also reduced the CO2 emission of the CALP with 306 tons.


11

Non-automotive LCA results

In 2018, Aleris also started assessing the environmental impact of the non-automotive production for 2017. The result was a GWP of 6.53 kgCO2e/kg of final coil for the average non-automotive products manufactured by Aleris Aluminum Duffel.

The GWP of non-automotive products is substantially higher than those of automotive products because of:

• the high share of external slabs not casted at Aleris and with a high amount of primary metal

• the lower average metal yield than automotive products

• the significant contribution of the external anodization process

GLOBAL WARMING POTENTIAL (GWP), NON-AUTOMOTIVE

TOTAL Duffel Externals suppliers (Slabs)

Duffel 1&2 Greenmelt, Casting and

Scalping

Duffel 3 Hot Rolling

Duffel 4 Cold Rolling

Duffel 5&6 CALP and Finishing

Duffel Anodising

Others

KG C

O2 E

Q/KG

FIN

AL C

OIL

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

O


12

PRODUCTION DATA KTA – KILOTONS PER ANNUM

External scrap Other material Produced Prime Material & Slabs

2O17

2O18

2O16

IMPROVING SUSTAINABILITY UP AND DOWN OUR VALUE CHAIN

Across our value chain, the greatest opportunity for reducing the environmental impact is by maximizing the content of scrap in our products. This directly reduces the amount of primary aluminum, energy use and waste. Our products are transported with the minimum amount of packaging necessary to protect the products.

BIODIVERSITY

A profound investigation on the biodiversity on the Duffel premises was carried out by an external party. All nature parts of the plant are mapped and registered. On several places a non-endemic species was found. A number of Polygonum plants were found and will be removed.

209

189

2O8 2O6,5

178,4

191 25

175,6

12

8,2 1,4

Maintaining the trust of our customers and communities requires that

we act in accordance with applicable standards for environmental,

health and safety excellence. Across our organization, we are focused

on responsibly managing our own environmental impacts and

protecting the safety of our employees. We are also committed

to fostering a positive workplace environment that rewards

employee innovation, collaboration and flexibility.

DOING THE RIGHT THING FOR OUR PEOPLE AND WORLD


14IMPROVING ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE

Aleris Aluminum Duffel is committed to implement a sustainable environmental management system. We have therefore set environmental goals for recycling, reducing energy intensity, reducing greenhouse emissions and avoiding pollution. We want all our employees to be involved in the continuous improvement of these environmental objectives.

Energy and Greenhouse Gas Emissions – Reducing Intensity

Our manufacturing facility requires large amounts of energy to melt, cast, roll and recycle aluminum. At Aleris Aluminum Duffel, we primarily rely on natural gas, but we also use a substantial amount of electricity. We only use electricity from renewable resources.

Electricity and gas are available via a public network. All other energy sources are bought from external suppliers and transported to the Duffel plant.

ENERGY USE

ELECTRICITY FROM NON-RENEWABLE

RESOURCES (KWH)

PROPANE (NM³)

ELECTRICITY FROM RENEWABLE

RESOURCES (KWH)

FUEL (L)

NATURAL GAS (NM³)

DIESEL (L)

2O16 2O16

2O16 2O162O16

2O16

2O16

2O17 2O17

2O17 2O172O17

2O17

2O17

2O18 2O18

2O18 2O182O18

2O18

2O18O 278.O59

9.OOO 352.9422,546

35.396

2O.897.286

O 251.48O

1O.792 347.O4O1,6O3

38.812

44.525

22.313.O54

O 257.317

4.OOO 389.7664,149

23.5O8.4O3

GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS (GHG)

Our energy use is directly linked to our GHG emissions. Our emission intensity has been reduced in the past years. Aleris Aluminum Duffel has set a goal to reduce GHG emissions by 3.4% by 2020 from 2014 levels.

EMISSION TO AIR (IN TONS CO2)


15In 2017, the Nox emission of preheating furnace 7 was 390 mg/Nm³, where the threshold is 250 mg/ Nm³. A maintenance revamp was carried out, after which a new measurement showed a Nox emission of only 7 mg/ Nm³. In July 2017, the green melt furnice was closed.

In 2018, the cast house three times had an emission between 12 and 26 mg/ Nm³, where the threshold is only 10 mg/ Nm³. Following these findings, a project for continuous measurement was set up. The goal of this is to find the correlation of the furnace content and the emission.

As a result, the burners of the OMAV furnaces (Carbon monoxide (CO) and Total Organic Carbon) are now immediately corrected after a measurement above the limit. There were threshold violations for CO 282 mg/Nm³ (threshold 250) and TOC 167 mg/Nm³ (threshold 150). A threshold violation for CO was found on the burner of the hot rolling emulsion. Measured value was 737 mg/Nm³ (threshold 100). Burner settings were checked and corrected and a new measurement showed that the threshold was met.

The gas washer of the chemical section of CALP three times had an exceeding TOC between 42 and 2.220 mg/ Nm³. The amount of oil used in the gas washer was reduced seriously and resulted in new measurements below the threshold of 150 mg/ Nm³.


16Waste Management

The operations at Aleris Aluminum Duffel create both hazardous and non-hazardous waste streams. Hazardous waste streams include used lubricant oil and chemicals. Non-hazardous waste streams include salt slag.

Aleris Aluminum Duffel keeps more than 70 different types of waste separate. These waste types are collected on site by a certified waste company and taken off-site by it for further treatment or to be recycled an reused.

We strive to minimize landfilling or incineration of our waste. For the past three years (2016-2018), no waste from Aleris Aluminum Duffel was landfilled.

WASTE TOTALSTONS

RECYCLINGTONS

We encourage our employees to help in recycling materials used in the production halls or their office to a maximum.

Recycling of other material

Stakeholder Group 2O18 2O17 2O16

Landfilled non-hazardous waste Incinerated non-hazardous waste Other non-hazardous waste (recycled or reused)

0 240 17.321

0 362 19.462

0 383 17.776

Total non-hazardous waste 17.561 19.284 18.159

Landfilled hazardous waste Incinerated hazardous waste Other hazardous waste (recycled or reused)

0 220 735

0 204 697

0 200 769

Total hazardous waste 955 901 969

Total Waste 18.516 20.725 19.128

Non-aluminum scrap WoodPaper and cardboard Electronic equipment

2O17

2O18

2O16

12O

2O8

2O8

4

4 458

837

718

4OO

43O

5O77


17Managing Water Use Responsibly

Aluminum processing requires a relatively small amount of water compared to other industries. Water is primarily used for cooling as part of the production process.

Avoiding soil contamination

Safety and protecting the environment are priorities for Aleris Aluminum Duffel. Apart from the many efforts we make to guarantee the safety of our employees, we also do everything possible to avoid leaks and production incidents that may impact the environment. When these occur, we try to address them as soon as possible and we report the incidents to the competent authorities.

In 2017, only one incident that had the potential to affect the environment was reported to the Environmental Inspectorate of the Flemish Government. On cold mill S1 a flexible tube from the filter installation came off and cold mill oil was spilled in the filter room. The intervention team cleaned up the oil before it could soak into the soil.

No incidents were reported in 2018.

In 2017 and 2018, several actions were undertaken to improve the waste water installations at Aleris Aluminum Duffel. As a result, the issues concerning sinkable material, biological oxygen use (BOU) and chemical oxygen use (COU) were successfully solved. In order to eliminate fluorides and detergents, an activated charcoal filter was placed.

WATER CONSUMPTIONCUBIC METERS (M³)

WASTE WATER PRODUCTIONCUBIC METERS (M³)

Potable water

Sewer system

Surface water

Surface water

2O16

2O16

2O17

2O17

2O15

2O15

521.811

567.391

566.86O

4O9.145

453.966

566.86O

16.457

23.11O

23.811

917

1.43O

1.695


18CREATING A SAFE WORKPLACE

Our employees are at the core of our business and we are committed to creating a safe workplace. We place safety excellence as a core value at every level of the company.

Overall Injury Incidence Rate (IIR)

Number of safety observations

Number of occupational diseases

1. HEALTH & SAFETY PERFORMANCE

2. PREVENTIVE PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

Overall Days Away Rate (DAW)

Number of occupational health examination

Managing Safety

Aleris Aluminum Duffel is working according to the applicable and relevant ILO convention for Occupational Safety and Health. Our Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) team coordinates the development and implementation of policies and procedures that protect the health and safety of our employees.

We are doing this through following actions:

• regular workshops and safety trainings

• regular safety checks and structured analyses in the workplace

• surveys to measure safety culture

• systematic workplace observation involving all layers in our organisation

• information panels at central points where the safety status at the beginning of every working shift can be checked

• LOTO (Log out – Tag Out): every employee has a personal LOTO lock for repairs, maintenance and small services on systems, devices and machines, protecting our employees personally when entering an installation

• safety folder “Two minutes of risk thinking”

2O16

2O162O16

2O16

2O17

2O172O17

2O17

2O18

2O182O18

2O18O,81

9.454 67O

O,54

1,21

9.6O5 715

O,31

1,45

7.924 642

O,53 2O16

2O17

2O18 O

O

O

* Occupational Safety & Health Administration

NUMBER OF OSHA* REPORTABLE ACCIDENTS X 2OO.OOO

NUMBERS OF HOURS WORKED

NUMBER OF LOST TIME INJURIES X 2OO.OOO

NUMBERS OF HOURS WORKED


19Health and well-being

Looking after the health and well-being of our employees contributes to the delivery of quality work and the engagement of the whole team to the delivery of our goals.

A number of employees took the initiative to set up the AL-Fit Team. This team organizes activities and actions to stimulate all employees to a healthier lifestyle.

Aleris Aluminum Duffel also has a medical department. The tasks of the medical department include:

• regular workshops and safety trainings

• medical examination of every new employee

• preventive medical examinations (annually for production workers)

• spontaneous consultations: every employee can visit the medical department for work-related problems, psychosocial and private issues, illness, etc.

• free influenza vaccination and cholesterol check

• custom-made personal protective equipment

All consultations are treated confidentially. The medical service also gives trainings, such as basic and refreshment first aid courses and trainings for people working with dangerous substances.

We have dedicated employees that function as 'confidential advisor'. They are trained to handle in all discretion on issues related to potential discrimination and conflicts between different parties at work.


20INVESTING IN OUR EMPLOYEES

Respect for human rights is a fundamental value at Aleris Aluminum Duffel. It is our policy not to discriminate against any employee or applicant due to race, sex, color, national origin, gender identity or other legally protected status. We do not tolerate disrespectful or inappropriate behavior, unfair treatment or retaliation of any kind. Harassment is not tolerated in the workplace and in any work-related circumstances outside the workplace.

We rely on our talented workforce to bring their ingenuity, resourcefulness and a shared passion for innovation to help us create the next generation of aluminum products. In turn, we support our employees by offering competitive salaries and benefits and providing challenging opportunities for professional growth and development.

Our Workforce

As of December 31, 2018, we employed 999 people, of which the majority is working in the manufacturing facility. Our workforce predominantly consists of men, who make up 91 percent of the workforce.

Aleris Aluminum Duffel organizes Welcome Days several times a year. These Welcome Days aim at guiding new employees through the world of Aleris Aluminum Duffel. They receive information on the mission, vision and values of Aleris, the most important divisions and the production process. The Welcome Days are concluded by a guided tour in the production plant and the rest of the site.

Typical agenda of the Aleris Welcome Days:

• history of the factory

• Aleris vision and strategy

• safety, well-being and environmental management

• rolling process (the flow of aluminum in the plant)

• metallurgy for beginners

• markets, products and clients

• technical services (organization and activities)

• quality (control, standards and audits)

• Aleris Operating System (AOS)

• General HR information

TOTAL EMPLOYEES

GENDER DIVERSITY

2O16

2O17

2O18 999

992

1.OO2

Men Woman

2O17

2O18

2O16

85

87

83919

9O5

914


21

Our employees have the right of free association conform to the Convention of the International Labor Organization (ILO). We respect our employees’ right to join, form or not to join a labor union without the fear of reprisal, intimidation or harassment. When employees are represented by a legally recognized union, we are committed to establishing a constructive dialogue with their freely elected representatives. We are discussing all required elements of collaboration, including disciplinary actions, working hours and rewarding systems. The company is committed to bargaining in good faith with these representatives.

Attracting and Retaining Top Talent

As customers seek increasingly sophisticated technological solutions, we recognize the need to attract and cultivate an exceptional workforce able to deliver on their requests. We offer competitive salaries and benefits in accordance with the terms of the applicable collective bargaining agreements. We ensure compliance with applicable wages, working hours, overtime and benefits laws.

We prohibit the hiring of individuals aged under 18 years for positions in which hazardous work is required. The Belgian legislation on the employment of youthful workers will be applied at all times. Students can work at Aleris Aluminum Duffel as from 15 years, but only for nonhazardous, administrative work, and under the supervision of a team leader. Here as well, the Belgian legislation on the employment of student workers will be applied at all times.

Beyond these benefits, we strive to provide rewarding career opportunities that allow employees to grow both personally and professionally. It is our hope that every employee who starts a career with Aleris finds the opportunity for advancement, leading to a long-term and fulfilling career.

FUNCTIONAL DIVERSITY

Blue collars White collars

2O17

2O18

2O16

359

369

364638

632

64O

nxa04

Cross-Out

nxa04

Inserted Text

Conform to the Convention of the International Labor Organization(ILO), our employees have the right of free association and we respect our employees' right to join,...


22Training and Development

We invest in a number of training and development programs to help our employees stay current on the latest techniques, technology and practices within our industry.

Apart from trainings, we regularly inform our employees on safety and transformation issues.

Quarterly Information Sessions

Every quarter, the plant manager is organizing an Information Session to keep all employees up-to-date on the latest safety matters. It is also the opportunity to inform the employees on the financial situation and the challenges of Aleris Aluminum Duffel. During these sessions, the plant manager also puts the spotlight on a specific department or project at Aleris Aluminum Duffel.

InformAL

Four times a year every employee is invited to an informal session to discuss a particular topic. This can be a particular project within Aleris Aluminum Duffel or an initiative taken by some employees.

Market Place

Twice a year, Market Place takes place. This is a networking event for white collars, during which six or seven topics for maximum half an hour each are being discussed.

TRAINING HOURS/YEAR

Job trainingSafety Human behavior (Transformation, Lean, other)

2O17

2O18

2O16

1O.14O 3.169

1O.O86 1.846

13.789 2.6227.263

7.999

1O.52O

The success of our business is built on a foundation

of strong corporate governance that permeates

our company from our Board of Directors to the

hourly worker on the manufacturing floor. We

expect our employees to operate in an honest and

straightforward manner, and with integrity. We also

believe that being a responsible corporate citizen

extends beyond our operations to the communities

where we operate. We are dedicated to being a

responsible and engaged community member and

are working to build a positive presence in the

communities we serve.

OPERATING RESPONSIBLY AND BEING INVOLVED

1OO percent of Aleris locations have community engagement programs

2O2O GOALS


24GOVERNING FOR SUCCESS

Each of the functions and operations within Aleris Aluminum Duffel is responsible for continuously assessing and responding to the risks that are unique to their aspect of our business. We are guided by our Code of Conduct and expect from our suppliers that they live up to the requirements of the Code of Conduct for suppliers.

Code of Conduct at Aleris

Our ethical performance and integrity are inextricably tied to our corporate reputation and, ultimately, our business success. Our behavior is grounded in our Code of Conduct (COC), which lays out expectations for operating ethically and responsibly.

Our full-time salaried staff is required to take the COC training annually. Additionally, we conduct monthly trainings on specific compliance topics, and we host quarterly large-scale online trainings on priority topics. Such topics have included anti-bribery, export controls, internal business controls, copyrights, use of company resources, respect in the workplace and information privacy, among others.

In addition to our COC, we maintain policies that guide our business conduct and ethical behavior. Aleris complies with all required laws with respect to human rights, including without limitation mandatory laws relating to internationally proclaimed human rights, conflict minerals, child labor, collective bargaining rights, and forced and compulsory labor.

Supplier Code of Conduct

At Aleris, we have set high standards on health, safety and environmental management and on fair and equal treatment of all our employees. In order to guarantee that these standards are respected throughout our complete supply chain, we expect the same integrity and standards of our suppliers. We have therefore created a Code of Conduct for our suppliers. All suppliers delivering goods and services to Aleris Aluminum Duffel are expected to respect this Supplier Code of Conduct.

Fair and equal treatment

We expect from our suppliers

• to support the protection of internationally proclaimed human rights,

• to fight forced labor (including modern slavery and human trafficking) and child labor

• to uphold the freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining in accordance with applicable laws

• to treat its employees with respect and provide a workplace free of harassment or abuse of any kind, harsh and inhuman treatment, unlawful practices and discrimination

• to enable its employees and other stakeholders to report concerns or potentially unlawful practices at the workplace

• to comply with minimum wages and working hours in accordance with local laws, and to ensure compensation of a living wage according to local living conditions

Health, safety & environmental management

We expect from our suppliers

• to have adequate processes and systems in place to comply with all applicable local and international environmental, health and safety laws and operations of the countries they are operating in

• to promote the safe and environmentally sound development, manufacturing, transport, use and disposal of their products

• to use resources efficiently, apply energy-efficient and environmentally-friendly technologies and reduce waste as well as emissions to air, water and soil

• to minimize the negative impact on biodiversity, climate change and water change


25Integrity

Our suppliers should

• abide by all applicable and international trade laws and regulations, related to the manufacturing of its products, including but not limited to antitrust, trade controls and sanction regimes

• consider business integrity as the basis of their business relationships

• prohibit all types of bribery, corruption and money laundering

• forbid gifts to private and public officials that aim to influence business decisions or otherwise encourage them to act contrary to their obligations

• respect the privacy and confidential information of all its employees and business partners as well as protect data and intellectual property from misuse

• implement an appropriate Compliance Management System which facilitates compliance with applicable laws, regulations and standards

Communication and reporting

Aleris Aluminum Duffel reserves itself the right to audit compliance with this supplier code of conduct. These audits are facility inspections that include worker interviews and a review of the supplier records and business practices.

If an audit identifies a violation of this Code, the supplier shall – at its own cost – act promptly to correct the situation with a corrective action plan.

A survey and risk analysis was carried out in April 2019: 358 (metal and non-metal) suppliers completed the survey.

Legal compliance

All payments to the government by Aleris Aluminum Duffel have only been made on a legal and/or contractual basis and in accordance with its anti-corruption policy of Aleris.

In 2016, 2017 and 2018 no complaints, fines, judgements, penalties or financial sanctions were imposed by the government.


26ENGAGING WITH OUR COMMUNITIES

We believe it is our civic responsibility to contribute to the wellbeing and prosperity of the local communities that our employees and neighbors call home. We take precautions to ensure that our facilities function safely and minimize impact on our neighbors and environment. We also invest in our local communities through philanthropic giving and employee volunteerism initiatives.

Addressing Community Concerns

The Aleris Aluminum Duffel plant is located near a residential area. When issues arise, we work cooperatively with neighbors and community members to assess concerns and potential solutions. Neighbors can reach us 24 hours a day via a telephone +32 15 3O 22 22 or via [email protected], if they have complaints about the release of smell or noise nuisance. Every complaint is thoroughly investigated and if possible, corrective measures are taken.

Both in 2O17 and 2O18, we received two complaints on smell. On noise nuisance, two complaints were received in 2O17 and one in 2O18.

Aleris Aluminum Duffel already took a lot of initiatives to lower the noise level of our compressors. In the last few years, we invested in the installation of noise dampers, an acoustic installation and acoustic walls. In order to address the complaints regarding the release of smell, a complete odor study was performed and necessary measures were taken. The installation of higher chimneys and the follow-up of the quality of the hot rolling emulsion are just a few examples of actions taken.

To inform neighbors and local authorities about the results of initiatives taken and upcoming projects on sustainability, they are invited to visit Aleris Aluminum Duffel once every two years. The latest neighbor consultation meeting took place on 3 April 2O19 with 47 neighbors attending.

Our Strategy on Community Giving Program

Employees of Aleris Aluminum Duffel also contribute time and money to support a number of charitable communities. In 2018, Aleris started the BeSociAL program. A number of employees coordinate and stimulate social and charity activities. They engage other employees to volunteer in the activities they select or to donate money or goods.

CHARITY DONATIONSIN EURO

2O15- 2O16

2O17

2O18 6.185

7.OOO

14.5OO


27

Sports against Cancer (Sporten tegen Kanker)

The “Vriendinnen van de Velo (VVV) – 15 Friends of the Bike – are participating in Bike for Think Pink, a biking event organized to raise money for cancer research. Think Pink informs, raises awareness and funds research on breast cancer and also supports care and after-care projects. The “Vriendinnen van de Velo” want this year to raise a sponsor amount of 750 euro per participant in the Bike for Think Pink Tour. They aim for a total amount of 11.250 euro. Colleagues can help sponsoring by participating in a Spinning Event.

Zorgcentrum Siddharta VZW (Baal)

A center for adults with intellectual disabilities. It has both a daycare and a resident center. In 2017, employees of Aleris Aluminum Duffel helped in organizing the biennial Christmas market organized by Zorgcentrum Siddharta. They helped wrapping the presents or operated the cash register. At the end of 2018, products from the Siddartha shop, made by the residents of the center, were sold at Aleris Aluminum Duffel.

Maud & Co VZW (Antwerp)

A cohousing and assisted living project offering a home, work and leisure to nine young adults with a disability. The driving force behind this project is the belief in inclusion: people with and without disabilities can live together under the same roof. The cohousing project started in January 2019. In December 2018, volunteers of Aleris Aluminum Duffel helped with painting and cleaning the house and/or offered small furniture for the house.

Some of these initiatives are:

beyond aluminum · for more than a decade, concerns about fuel efficiency have been encouraging...

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