Rio Tinto’s Iron Ore Company of Canada, which operates the massive IOC mine in Labrador West, has introduced a new traceability program allowing customers to track the source of the pellets and concentrate they buy.

The START™ program provides independently verified data on specific environmental and social indicators, improving transparency on sourcing practices.

President and CEO of IOC, Mike McCann, says steelmakers are increasingly demanding transparent information about the environmental profile of the raw materials they use, and START allows customers to see “exactly how these materials are produced.”

IOC customers will receive START labels containing up to 14 metrics on each order, including carbon emissions, water use, biodiversity, energy mix, community contributions, and workplace safety.