A Brief Overview of 7 Zero Waste Companies
Zero waste is an important waste-management policy that is the need of the hour at the moment given the environmental risks human civilization is facing. However, it calls for a philosophy that uses the implementation of strong policies, resources, and ground-breaking tools in order to show progress against the ferocious enemy that is environmental pollution. There are some brave companies that are endeavoring to tackle this menace by developing agendas and strategies for decreasing, reusing and recycling materials. Here’s a brief overview of 7 zero waste companies and how they have fought for waste reduction –
Toyota
In 2013, Toyota initiated the American Zero Waste Building Council. Over the next two years the North American sector of Toyota would go on to reduce, reuse and recycle fiercely recording a 96% (approximately 900 million pounds of landfill waste) drop in overall non-regulated waste production. Toyota presently has 27 North American facilities that are classified as zero waste sites.
General Motors (GM)
In 2016, General Motors announced that they have converted 152 of their facilities into zero wastes. They attributed this accomplishment to their workers, recycling, reusing and transforming waste to energy, and manufacturing products from recycled resources. General Motors has generated $1 billion by reprocessing over 2 million metric-tons of by-products.
Microsoft
Microsoft Campus recorded a 90% decrease in landfill waste. The multi-billion-dollar conglomerate Microsoft employs over 44,000 employees in 125 buildings in Redmond, Washington. Due to their massive size, Microsoft’s waste reduction measures weren’t only environmentally efficient but also economically essential. In a bid to size down their carbon footprint, Microsoft has also executed campaigns to decrease 90% of their waste in landfills.
New Belgium Brewing
New Belgium Brewing was recently authorized as a platinum-level zero waste brand. The maker of the widely used Fat-Tire Belgian Style Ale, New Belgium Brewing is also a front-runner in the zero-waste brewing industry. They presently have a 99.9% zero waste in landfill efficiency. In the early 2010s, in order to analyze different ways to efficiently eliminate waste, the company conducted waste audits in their 500 waste collection centers. In 2016 the company innovated a new way to compost organic waste that accumulated in their major water treatment plants.
Fetzer Vineyards
Fetzer Vineyards, one of the biggest wineries in California, was the first winery to openly report its overall greenhouse gas emissions. Their goal is to be net carbon positive by 2030. A certified platinum level zero-waste member of the American Zero-Waste Council, they are also the first winery in the country to fully function on renewable energy.
Unilever
Unilever ferociously launched their zero-waste company polices making sure that 100% of their toxic waste is kept out of landfills. 240 factories and 400 of their waste centers are certified zero-waste sites.
Procter and Gamble
Procter & Gamble has set a considerable zero-waste goal pledging to completely eliminate their manufacturing waste that is destined for landfills by 2020, cutting off 95% of their total produced waste.
These companies’ progress serves as brilliant benchmarks for other companies.
Summary
Many companies are following the zero waste policy to deal with the menace of environmental pollution. While General Motors has taken to recycling and energy transformation, leading to 152 zero waste facilities, companies like Unilever ensure that none of their waste reaches landfills. The initiatives of these companies are a major inspiration for others.
Reshali Balasubramaniam
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