Responsible use of the natural resources

Materials

For Amarilo the efficient use of the natural resources is of vital importance in the development of its projects and in the responsible construction activities, respecting the environment at all times and looking after the wellbeing of the communities in the direct and indirect influence areas.

The use of the natural resources has a significant environmental impact during the extraction phase, before the same enter the site, so every day it is more and more important to acquire products with some percentage of recycled material and to reduce, in that way, the exploitation thereof.

It is fundamental to correctly manage the raw materials used and not to waste them, and at the same time to prevent the generation of waste and the unnecessary emissions or the use of more resources than those required by the respective works. That is why the monitoring of the materials most used in the building processes generates a positive impact on the company, as it becomes the baseline to define strategies that involve a considerable reduction thereof, without jeopardizing the safety and the stability of the projects.

This issue covers all of Amarilo’s domestic projects and it is measured on a monthly basis by means of the reports of consumption and efficient use of the resources. The measurement of indicators and the state of compliance is made through the follow-up of the company’s internal procedures, strategic meetings and monthly reports. GRI 103-1, 103-2, 103-3

Consumption of materials 2020

Slip
Type of
project		 Fuel
gal*		 Cardboard
kg		 Steel
kg		 Clay
Materials
kg 		Concrete
m3		 Plástic
kg		 Wood
m3		 Polystyrene
m3		 Aggregates
m3*
I (VIS/VIP) 38,358 3,604 12,053,582 13,236,844 81,734 8,168 1,762 4,780 49,697
II (E. 3, 4, 5 & 6) 22,720 31,182 7,288,067 7,111,498 83,845 26,791 4,127 357 25,879
III URBAN AMENITIES 652 0 45,791 34,786 2,986 100 227 0 8,123
IV OTHER 8,610 438 876,310 3,370,892 11,165 2,680 534 266 2,155
TOTAL 2020 70,339 35,224 20,263,750 23,754,020 179,730 37,739 6,649 5,403 85,854
TOTAL 2019 94,909 65,442 21,552,646 18,783,719 306,364 9,198 4,320 9,539 93,810
*Fuel includes Diesel and gasoline – GRI 301-1 *Aggregates includes gravel, rock and river. *The data reported correspond to the works carried out by Amarilo and by Obycon. *During the year 2019, data corresponding to 56 sites was reported, versus 62 reported in 2020.
palmera

Las Palmas project at Ricaurte

GRI 301-1 In year 2020 there was a reduction of 26 % in the consumption of fuel, as the projects had a direct connection to the public utilities’ network, reducing, in that way, the consumption of fuel for the power generation plants. From the fuels utilized, the lower amount evidenced was of gasoline. Besides, due to the health emergency caused by the COVID-19, the activities in the work sites evidenced a slow down during the preventive and mandatory isolation periods decreed by the National Government, reducing the use of some inputs such as the fuel, due to the temporary closures. GRI 301-2

icon fuel

Fuel
DIESEL - gasoline Gallon

94.909 gal
70.339 gal

The consumption of cardboard for year 2020, versus year 2019, evidenced a reduction of 46 %. The greatest consumption of this material was evidenced in the Non-VIS projects that were in the delivery phase and that required the finishing to be protected. Even though the greatest consumption was evidenced in the Non-VIS projects in respect to 2019, the quantity sharply fell due to the completion of projects under this typology. GRI 301-2

carton

Cardboard (kg)

In the sites, the goal is to replace the use of the cardboard for plastic for the protection of the floors during the finishing process, there is evidence of reduction in the consumption of cardboard and the increase in the consumption of plastic as alternative, due to its strength and longer useful life.

In year 2020, in spite of the reduction of activities due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the consumption of steel fell by 6 %, which is explained by a purchase made by Amarilo in advance as a precautionary measure if the vendor’s plant was to be closed due to the health crisis.

On the other hand, the consumption of steel in the constructive phase was proportional to the number of sites and homes built. The greater consumption took place in the Type I projects, VIS and VIP housing. As from year 2018, Amarilo entered into an alliance with the steel supplier called Grupo Reyna (formerly SIDENAL), to close that material’s life cycle, ensuring that more than 90 % of the steel consumed comes from recycled material. From the total of steel acquired, more than 18.000 tons correspond to recycled material (scrap metal or shavings). GRI 301-2

acero

Steel

It is important to bear in mind that the consumption of petrous materials is directly related to the number of projects done in the period, materials that cannot be reduced because the same are essential inputs for the structure. That is why, in spite of it not being possible to consider the reduction of the consumption to maintain the stability and safety of the structure, strategies are being actively sought in order to optimize its consumption and to make the most of it in the sites.

In 2020 the suppliers of petrous materials, such as clay and concrete, were asked to include an important percentage of recycled material. GRI 301-2

Reduction in materials

In general, in the year 2020 there was a reduction in materials such as:

gas icon

26%

Fuel

carton

46%

Cardboard

acero1

6%

Steel

carretilla

8%

Aggregates

icopor

43%

Polystyrene

Energy

For Amarilo the power management approach is based on changes in the conducts of the workers, seeking to ensure the continuous improvement in the use of power by means of well-established methods, controls and practices. It is a priority to know the power consumption in each work center and to establish the most critical processes of the operation and to take the relevant corrective measures. GRI 103-1

The measurement of the power consumption at Amarilo’s work sites (sites, sale rooms and corporate building) was made by means of the readings reported by the public utility bills, on a monthly basis and in kilowatts (kW). In respect to year 2019, there was evidence of a reduction in the consumption of power in all the work centers directly related to the mandatory and preventive suspension of the sector to manage the COVID-19 emergency. GRI 103-2 – 103-3

The greater consumption of power occurred in the non-VIS projects, specifically in those that, being located in hotter regions, required the permanent use of electrical devices, such as air conditioning units.

During the second year of operation of the new corporate headquarters, the power consumption was 322,918 kWh. It must be underscored that in the corporate building alternative power sources are used, such as solar energy. To meet the standards of the LEED Platinum Certification, the headquarters have a solar-panel system to supply power to the common areas of the building. The use of solar panels has environmental and financial advantages: it contributes to the protection of the natural resources and it also reduces the monthly cost of the utility. The consumption in the corporate building fell by 12 %, as a consequence of the reduction of capacity resulting from the health emergency.

In the year 2020 the company continued with the measurement of the power consumption in the sales’ rooms active during that period. The result of the measurement showed a reduction of 25 %, as a consequence of the suspension of commercial activities in the country and the restrictions in the attention of the public. The highest report in the power consumption referred to the sales rooms located in warmer climates, due to the use of air conditioning appliances.
GRI 302-2, 302-4

Power consumption (kW) 2020

Slip
Type of project WORKS MAIN OFFICE SALES ROOM
TYPE I (VIS/VIP) 674,085 322,918 364,728
TYPE II (E 3, 4, 5 and 6) 1,070,367
TYPE III (Urban Amenities) 99,703
TYPE IV (Other) 142,361
TOTAL 2020 1,986,517 322,918 364,728
TOTAL 2019 2,260,536 365,596 486,305
*The data reported correspond to the works carried out by Amarilo and by Obycon.
consumo

Power consumption - Sites (kW)

2019

2020

GRI 302-3 In 2020 it was not possible to carry out the energy intensity measurements due to the prioritization of activities for the attention of the COVID-19 emergency. We expect to resume them in the 2021 agenda.

Lastly, for the year 2021 we have planned to design action plans that allow us to reduce the power consumption. GRI 302-4

Serena del Mar project, Cartagena

Water

The purpose of the integral water management is to guide the development of measures and controls regarding the water resource through the protection of the natural resources. This management promotes the water resource in an equitable manner, and without compromising the stability of the ecosystem to guarantee the availability thereof.

Therefore, the work centers implemented actions aimed to the savings and to the efficient use of the water as well as to the prevention of the contamination of the water sources that exist in the zones of influence. GRI 103-1, 103-2

In order to strengthen the efficient use of the water, in 2020 the company designed for the work centers the program for the efficient use and savings of water, which allowed to measure the reutilization of the water in the different work centers of the business enterprise.

In the projects, the main source for the water supply are the water systems of the zones of influence, followed by the purchase, through tanker trucks, because in many cases the works do not have a direct connection to the respective water works’ network. These consumptions are measured on a monthly basis using the public utilities’ invoices and the purchase invoices in each one of the works. GRI 103-3, 303-1

To ensure the supply from authorized sources, before the water is purchased the vendor’s documentation is screened and the applicable permits issued by the competent authority are verified.

Even though it does not represent a considerable volume, another source of supply was rainwater. It was used for industrial purposes, in those activities that did not require a specific quality in the process, use that reduced the consumption of water from natural, surface and underground sources. To this date, no project makes the direct intake of water from surface or underground sources, and therefore no concessions or permits are in place.

Water Intake / Consumption 2020

Slip
Type of
project		 Rainwaters (m3) Water
Companies (m3)		 Purchased from
Tanker Trucks
m3		 Total water
consumed (m3) 		Volume
of reused
water (m3)		 Percentage
of reused
water (%)
TYPE I (VIS/VIP) 74 35,223 30,552 65,849 1,271 2 %
TYPE II
(E 3, 4, 5 and 6) 		76 72,437 22,322 94,835 1,761 2 %
TYPE III
(Urban Amenities) 		1,000 1,683 120 2,803 920 33 %
TYPE IV (Other) 4 42,093 337 42,434 809 2 %
TOTAL 2020 1,154 151,436 53,331 205,921 4,761 2.3 %
TOTAL 2019 7,133 78,710 42,904 128,748 12,860 10 %
*The data reported correspond to the works carried out by Amarilo and by Obycon.
icon1

Rainwaters m3

2019

2020

Regarding year 2019, in general there was a considerable increase, namely 60 %, in the consumption of water, specifically regarding the water that comes directly from the water companies’ system and the purchase from authorized third parties. Even though in year 2020 the activities in the projects were reduced because of the attention of the emergency generated by the COVID-19 virus, the water consumption was increased because of the sanitary measures imposed to prevent the contagion such as the use of running water to wash hands, the cleaning and disinfection of the zones, and the general cleaning of the sanitary system at the work sites.

grifo

Total water consumed m3

2019

2020

In 2020 there was a greater consumption of water in the Type II projects (No VIS) due to a greater consumption in the finishing processes and to the delivery stages of several sites. Regarding the consumption of rainwaters, their use continued in order to reduce the use of natural sources as well as to reduce costs.

agua reutilizada

Reused waters m3

2019

2020

On the other hand, for year 2020 a total of 2.3 % of water was reused in activities such as brick cutting, tire washing and mixer’s chute washing, equivalent to a volume of 4,761 m3. When compared with the volume recirculated in year 2019 there is evidence of a reduction because, during the health emergency, there was a greater consumption of water in activities that do not allow recirculated water, such as hand washing and the cleaning and disinfection of common zones. In the recirculation processes, the water comes to a settlement system for the removal of suspended particles and then it goes to a risen tank to be subsequently reutilized in the same processes. GRI 303-3

imagen04

Effluents

The projects duly identify the residual water of domestic and industrial origin. As sources of generation of domestic waters, there are the portable and stationary sanitary units located at the sites, bathrooms, septic tanks and grease traps of the catering areas. On the other hand, as a source of industrial waste waters there was the brick cutting, tire washing and mixer’s chute washing processes, as well as the disposal of oily waters, none of which can be disposed of in the pubic sewage network because of their characteristics.

The table below presents the volume of industrial and domestic waste waters that were evacuated during year 2020 by a service provider duly authorized by the competent environmental authority, due to the absence of a connection to the sewage network of the zone of influence of some projects. The management of the waste waters required the support of an authorized third party. GRI 103-1

Volume of waste waters dumped (m3) 2020

Slip
Type of project Vol. of Domestic Waste Waters
disposed (grease traps,
bathrooms, septic tanks) (m3)		 Vol. of Industrial Waste Waters.
(brick cutting, tire washing,
mixer chute washing,
sumps) (m3)		 TOTAL, JOBSITES
TYPE I (VIS/VIP) 169 0 169
TYPE II (E 3, 4, 5 and 6) 3,238 3 3,241
TYPE III (Urban Amenities) 117 0 117
TYPE IV (Other) 80 0 80
TOTAL 2020 3,604 3 3,607
TOTAL 2019 2,877 320 3,197
*The data reported correspond to the works carried out by Amarilo and by Obycon. GRI 306-1

These liquid residues were sent, in full, to different waste waters' treatment plants duly authorized by the respective environmental authority, in which physical-chemical, biological, biochemical or biodegradation treatments were carried out. It is important to reiterate that the volume presented corresponds to the one evacuated by a third party in the absence of a connection to the sewage network. In those works in which there was direct connection to the sewage network no measurement takes place, since there are no flow meters installed in the points in which the waters are delivered into that system.

Even though in year 2020 the activities in the projects were reduced due to the attention of the health emergency, in the works that did not have connection to the waste waters’ network, the general cleaning and maintenance of the sanitary system was carried out, which meant that the generation of water residual of the domestic type was not reduced. Besides, it is important to bear in mind that because of the measures implemented for the prevention of contagion, the use of running water for washing hands as well as for the cleaning and disinfection of the common zones grew in an important volume, as did the generation of waste waters from those activities.

On the other hand, the generation of industrial waste waters that results from the brick cutting, tire washing and mixer’s chute and sump washing processes fell due to the suspension of the activities, underscoring that such waters are generated only in the constructive stage.

Hacienda las Palmas project, Ricaurte.

Waste

During the constructive process of the works in year 2020 usable petrous waste (debris and excavation material), usable non-petrous ones (PVC, paper/cardboard, plastic, scrap metal), non-usable non-petrous materials and hazardous, special or polluted waste were generated. GRI 306-2

Slip
REUSABLE WASTE 2020 Hazardous
Waste
(kg)		 Special
(Polystyrene)
(m3)		 Wood (m3)
Type of
project		 Paper/
cardboard (kg)		 PVC (kg) Plastic
(kg)		 Scrap Metal
(kg)		 TOTAL
TYPE I (VIS/VIP) 14,524 5,446 2,266 191,006 213,241 2,539 2,657 7,920
TYPE II (E 3, 4, 5 and 6) 25,100 6,893 4,301 208,015 244,309 15,040 9,500 7,092
TYPE III (Urban Amenities) 288 0 0 1,120 1,408 45 0 32
TYPE IV (Other) 2,080 1,525 468 10,155 14,228 1,993 921 22,797
TOTAL 2020 41,991 13,864 7,035 410,296 473,186 19,617 13,078 37,841
TOTAL 2019 73,496 17,472 12,235 360,300 463,502 33,010 6,101 18,515

When compared with year 2019, in 2020 there was a general increase of 2 % in the usable metal waste, generated and delivered to recycling foundations to be subsequently recycled outside the site (scrap metal).

reciclage

Usable waste (kg)

The paper and cardboard waste evidenced a reduction of 43 % proportional to the reduction in the purchase of 46 % of the cardboard for the projects. Waste such as PVC and plastic also evidenced a considerable reduction in their generation, which is congruent with the suspension of the activities in the works. It is important to point out that for some works there was plastic purchased in order to protect the finishing, due to its strength and useful life.

All the metallic waste (scrap metal), to date, is handed over to the steel supplier as input and as raw material of the steel provided to the works, which allows to ensure that the steel consumed contains more than 90 % of recycled material.

On the other hand, the waste that due to its characteristics could not be delivered to recycling foundations, such as hazardous or special waste, wood or ordinary garbage, were disposed of with an authorized service provider.

It is important to point out that most of the special and hazardous or polluted waste are generated and disposed of by the respective contractors. The hazardous or polluted waste experienced a reduction, thanks to the health crisis. The waste generated by the attention of the COVID-19 emergency, such as face masks, hazmat suits and gloves, were handed over to the service providers to be handled and disposed of as special waste. For this reason during 2020 there was an increase in the disposal of this type of waste.

Excavation Material

GRI 306-2
TYPE OF
PROJECT		 EXCAVATION MATERIAL DEBRIS REUTILIZATION
TOTAL %
Volume
Generated
(m3) 		Reutilized
Volume
(m3) 		Reutilization
Percentage
(%) 		Volume
generated
(m3) 		Volume
reutilized
in the site
(m3) 		Volume
handed over
to external
plants
(m3) 		Reutilization
Percentage
(%)
TYPE I (VIS/VIP) 470,064 441,435 94 % 10,534 1,540 4,746 60 % 77 %
TYPE II (E 3, 4,
5 and 6) 		162,795 26,150 16 % 4,067 1,139 1,164 57 % 36 %
TYPE III (Urban
Amenities) 		22,277 21,727 98 % 1,105 0 123 11 % 54 %
TYPE IV (Other) 7,330 2,384 33 % 9,809 643 0 7 % 20 %
TOTAL 2020 662,466 491,696 74 % 25,516 3,322 6,033 37 % 55 %
TOTAL 2019 349,796 116,949 33 % 32,965 19,702 60 % 36 %

The environmental regulations applicable regarding waste promote the internal utilization of all the waste that is generated in the productive processes; so, for year 2020, the measurement of the percentages of reutilization of petrous RCD continued (debris and excavation material) as it did for non-petrous ones (PVC, wood, paper / cardboard and excess concrete).

Regarding the petrous RCD, there was a total utilization of 55 %, including in this percentage the volume of debris handed over to the appropriate plants for their reutilization outside the work sites. Regarding the percentage of utilization of petrous RCD of year 2019, in 2020 there was an increase in said ratio, as it passed from 36 % to 55 %. The greater utilization volume was found in the excavation material in activities such as grading of the terrain, adaptation of dirt roads and filling of trenches.

In respect to the use of the debris, two strategies were put into motion. The first one consisted of the utilization in the sites and delivery to the plants for its reincorporation as raw material. In the case of the Type IV projects, which correspond to show rooms and shopping malls, the percentage is lower because of the construction area and also due to the absence of activities or zones in which this type of material can be used. The second strategy was the exploitation of non-petrous RCD such as PVC, wood, and paper /cardboard, which grew in 2020 due to its subsequent use in handrails, signaling, protection of ditches and administrative activities, among others.

In 2020 Amarilo received the Camacol Regional Bogotá and Cundinamarca Social Responsibility award, in the best environmental experience, for the cooperation agreement in the implementation of a pilot for Construction and Demolition Waste (RCD by its Spanish acronym) in the Alameda del Río urbanistic project, lead by Amarilo and the environmental authority of Atlántico - CRA.

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