Unilever North America hits waste to landfill targets as part of sustainability efforts

The company said that the achievement in North America adds to those made in other markets worldwide where it has also achieved zero waste to landfill, including the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, France, Germany and Japan.

The company says that more than half of its 252 global manufacturing facilities have now achieved zero land fill, where the key objective has been to eliminate waste, as well as to optimize re-use, recycling and waste recovery.

Reducing environmental impact​

“By eliminating waste, our employees are demonstrating our sustainable business model in action,”​ said Kees Kruythoff, president, Unilever North America.

“This achievement is an important milestone for Unilever as we continue to fulfill our vision of significantly reducing our environmental impact while doubling our business.”​

The company says that it has implemented a series of waste management programs at all of its North American facilities, which have included recycling paper and plastic at its Ownsboro, Kentucky facility and converting it into tissue and composite lumber, as well as a waste centralization program to increase recycling at its headquarters in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey.

Unilever's Sustainable Living Plan​

The plan to reduce waste to landfill forms part of the company Sustainable Living Plan, which targets three principal areas: improved health and well-being, reduced environmental impact and enhanced livelihoods.

Under the area of reduced environmental impact, the company has targeted five principal areas in which it wants to reduce waste, which ultimately aims to reduce the amount of waste associated with the disposal of its products by the year 2020.

An integral part of this plan is the targeting of zero non-hazardous waste to landfill by 2015, which has included the global opening of seven new manufacturing facilities during the course of 2013 designed to produce zero non-hazardous waste.