Waste and resource use

Operating large production sites and maintaining a global portfolio of existing installations entail the risk of polluting natural ecosystems. Conceivable risks include the waste these activities generate if it is not properly disposed of, and the use of substances deemed hazardous or of very high concern in Schindler’s final products.

Generated waste includes used oils and lubricants, scrap metal and packaging (e.g., wood, cardboard, plastic, and steel), as well as product components that need to be replaced, including batteries and electrical and electronic equipment.

Other environmental risks arising from Schindler’s supply chain and its products include the impact of extracting and processing raw materials (e.g., steel, aluminum, and concrete), together with the use of rare earths required for the production of semiconductors and magnets, and the end-of-life treatment of Schindler’s products.

Schindler does not reach the annual import and processing thresholds for minerals and metals stipulated under Swiss laws (article 964j para. 1, number 1 CO; article 4 and annex 1 of the Ordinance on Due Diligence and Transparency in relation to Minerals and Metals from Conflict-Affected Areas and Child Labor [DDTrO]).

Schindler strives to track waste data and disposal methods on a yearly basis. The highest amount of waste is related to categories with low-risk “nonhazardous waste.” In 2025, 84% of Schindler’s total volume of waste was diverted from disposal through recycling (2024: 86%). Hazardous waste represented around 6% of the total waste generated (2024: 4%); 76% of the hazardous waste was recycled (2024: 83%), while less than 0.2% was sent to landfill (2024: <0.2%).

In 2025, industrial waste disposed to landfill represented 0.5% of the total waste (2024: <1%). The amounts of hazardous and nonhazardous waste to landfill are disclosed in section 5.2.

Group-wide initiatives include: improving or changing equipment for waste management, holding training courses for employees and subcontractors, engaging with suppliers to procure sustainable packaging materials, and working with customers to increase recycling opportunities on construction sites.