Company Announcement: Romco Are Now Members Of The Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI)

We are pleased to announce that Romco Group Ltd has joined as a Production and Transformation Member of the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI), the only comprehensive voluntary sustainability standard initiative for the aluminium value chain, bringing the total number of ASI Members to 169.

Of the ASI membership development, Romco Group CEO, Raymond Onovwigun said:

“We have an aluminium problem; Unsustainable production power consumption and carbon emissions are creating irreversible environmental consequences that affect everyone. They can’t be ignored, and we need to work collaboratively to address them.

For us at Romco, subscribing to the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) is an exciting step in that direction — joining others in the industry that are taking responsibility for making our world a cleaner, greener, more livable place.”

The Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) is the largest non-profit standards-setting and certification organisation for aluminium in the world. ASI bring together producers, users and stakeholders in the aluminium value chain with a commitment to maximising the contribution of aluminium to a sustainable society. Now working together with Romco, ASI aims to collaboratively foster responsible production, sourcing and stewardship of aluminium.

#1 First In Africa

Romco is one of the first companies in Africa with ASI membership, and we plan to be the first aluminium recycler in Africa with ASI Performance Standard and Chain of Custody Standard Certification, furthering our ambitions as a quality producer and leader in the region. This commitment signifies our intensions to increase sustainability, working for the common good of the industry, people, and wider environment where it’s needed most — the emerging markets.

More On What The ASI Membership Means

ASI has developed an independent third-party certification program, that Romco are now committed to, ensuring sustainability and human rights principles are increasingly embedded in our aluminium recycling. ASI’s Performance Standard and Chain of Custody Standard, which we are now in the process of seeking, are designed to link responsible production with responsible sourcing, and thus support increased emphasis on sustainability in procurement practices.

ASI is also a full member of the ISEAL Alliance, the global membership organisation for credible sustainability standards, whose mission is to strengthen sustainability standards systems for the benefit of people and the environment. Other members include Forest Stewardship Council, Rainforest Alliance, Responsible Jewellery Council and Marine Stewardship Council. ASI complies with the criteria in ISEAL’s Codes of Good Practice for Standard- Setting, Assurance and Impacts.

Obligations

Romco are now obliged to earn the ‘ASI Performance Standard Certification’ within two years as a mandatory membership condition, which involves a thorough third-party audit of our facilities and practices to ensure a quality sustainable approach.

The ASI Performance Standard Certification aims to support responsible supply chains by:

• Providing a common standard for the aluminium value chain on environmental, social and governance performance
• Establishing requirements that can be independently audited to provide objective evidence for the granting of ASI Certification
• Reinforcing and promoting consumer and stakeholder confidence in aluminium
• Serving as a broader reference for the establishment and improvement of responsible production, sourcing and material stewardship initiatives in metals supply chains.

The sustainability elements addressed are Governance, Greenhouse gas emissions, Human rights, Labour rights, & Occupational health and safety.

The ASI Chain of Custody (CoC) Standard complements the ASI Performance Standard, and is voluntary for ASI Members, though encouraged. The CoC Standard sets out requirements for the creation of a Chain of Custody for CoC Material, including ASI Aluminium, which is produced and processed through the value chain into diverse downstream sectors.

The CoC Standard aims to support responsible supply chains by:

• Providing a common standard for ASI Members in the Production and Transformation and Industrial Users membership classes, who wish to implement Mass Balance and/or Market Credits chain of custody systems in the aluminium value chain;
• Establishing requirements that can be independently audited to provide objective evidence for the granting of ASI CoC Certification; and
• Serving as a broader reference for the establishment and improvement of responsible production, sourcing and stewardship initiatives in metals supply chains.

The chain of custody elements addressed are General CoC Management, Confirming Eligible Input, CoC Accounting, Documentation and Claims.