AFL’s sustainable, state-of-the-art Poland Manufacturing Facility incorporates the company’s strong focus on environmental stewardship while enhancing customer experiences through seamless, end-to-end optical fiber manufacturing and logistics.

The facility moves AFL’s first-class connectivity solutions closer to regional demand than ever before, providing efficient access to high-speed optical fiber connectivity with a minimized carbon footprint.

This article gives insight into AFL’s Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) initiatives, and unpacks the systems and design features underpinning the facility’s environmentally responsible approach to optical fiber network infrastructure.

AFL sustainability initiatives

In 2021, AFL began its journey into ESG. The company quickly achieved the primary goal of establishing a dedicated, committee-led task force. The committee was set up with dual primary aims:

• Capture ongoing sustainability initiatives to understand and build on existing momentum.
• Provide considered recommendations to help lower the company’s global carbon footprint.

“AFL’s commitment to corporate responsibility is at the forefront of our culture and directly aligned with our core values As I look back on my first year at AFL, I am immensely proud of our efforts as we strive to create long-term meaningful value to our customers, associates, and communities.”

Jaxon Lang, AFL President and CEO

Task force outcomes provided AFL’s leadership teams with a structured overview of the company’s ESG commitments over time. Separated into five areas of significance, AFL’s ESG strategy now gives scope to plan, implement, monitor, measure, and continually improve sustainable practices across the company’s global locations.

Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions

AFL is taking positive action to lower its global carbon footprint. Across our business operations and customer value chain, we have set ambitious, monitored, achievable emission reduction targets, in line with the Science Based Target Initiative.

Operational Energy Efficiency

AFL is taking direct action to optimize operational energy efficiency in three areas. First, we monitor and reduce energy wastage.  Next, we identify and adopt cleaner fuels. Lastly, we invest in proven and emerging renewable power technologies.

Circular Economy

AFL strives to empower customers with sustainable growth opportunities. Our focus on raw material efficiency incorporates environmentally friendly product design an eco-conscious packaging, with product lifecycle considerations in mind.  

Waste Management

AFL’s target-based waste management initiatives include:

• Minimize global scrap rates.
• Implement appropriate waste stream treatments.
• Ongoing optimization of reuse and recycling schemes.

Water Conservation

AFL’s ESG committee advises the leadership team on ways to enhance water conservation efforts across the company’s global locations. For example, the facility incorporates rainwater recycling technology.

AFL now looks to the Poland Manufacturing Facility to continue the company’s investment in progressive ESG initiatives across business processes. The facility’s central European location not only expedites lower-carbon emission operations across EMEA, but the way in which the building itself functions promotes greener ways of working in support of AFL’s ESG initiatives.

MDC² Park: Built with sustainability in mind

Built as part of the MDC² Park complex in Gliwice, Poland, AFL’s new facility provides optical fiber solutions at the junction of the A1 and A4 motorways – two of the most used and most important motorways in Poland. Aside from its excellent transport links, MDC² Park itself is on a pathway to achieving a zero-carbon footprint and could become the highest rated ecological development in Poland.

Some of the ways in which MDC² supports AFL’s ESG goals include:

• Rainwater recycling.
• Electric vehicle chargers.
• Photovoltaic roof panels (commonly known as ‘solar panel’ or ‘PV ready’ technology).
• Energy consumption monitoring systems, enabling accurate breakdown of power usage within given timeframes, spanning lighting, water, heating, and more.

The Poland Manufacturing Facility was designed with biodiversity in mind, incorporating green walls, bird boxes, beehives, and meadows instead of lawns. 95% of the materials selected in the facility’s construction are recyclable, with natural building insultation (mineral wool) used throughout. There are also outdoor relaxation zones available to all AFL team members, helping positively impact worker wellbeing.

Written by Ben Atherton
Copywriter