Half of GM Plants Recycle Waste

Perhaps an achievement even bigger then the launch of the Chevrolet Volt when it comes to the environment is American manufacturer's GM commitment to recycling the waste by its facilities. So far, the commitment is being kept, as over 50 percent of the GM operated facilities send zero waste to landfills.

GM said today that is has 76 landfill-free facilities, surpassing the goal it set for itself of having 50 percent of its 145 plants reusing their own waste. The car maker's numbers show that the green facilities helped cut 8.4 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions each year.

“We’re committed to reducing our environmental impact,” said Mike Robinson, vice president of Environment, Energy and Safety Policy at GM. “Whether it’s a facility that’s already achieved landfill-free status or one of the many that are nearly there, every site is serious about finding ways to reduce and reuse waste.”

The main materials reused by GM include just about everything which results as byproduct of the manufacturing process. For instance, the cardboard shipping materials become sound-absorber material in the Buick Lacrosse, plastic caps turn into radiator shrouds for the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra and even paint sludge gets a second life as plastic material for shipping containers.

“It’s all about being creative, lean and rethinking traditional manufacturing processes,” added John Bradburn, GM waste-reduction manager. “When you think of what it would take for a family of four to not produce any trash for a year, that’s quite a task. This is 76 sites around the world and about 70,000 employees committed to the cause.”