Global nutrition, hygiene and personal care giant Unilever (Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey / USA; www.unilever.com) has eliminated waste to landfill at all 26 of its manufacturing and non-manufacturing headquarter facilities in the US and Canada. Other countries in which Unilever has achieved this include the UK, The Netherlands, France, Germany and Japan.

Unilever said that reducing waste sent for disposal is a critical component of its “sustainable living plan”, which was established in 2010 with the aim of reducing the company’s environmental footprint by 50% by 2020. At present, more than half of Unilever’s 252 global factories are zero waste to landfill (ZLF). Where reduction of waste in manufacturing and non-manufacturing facilities is not sufficient, the company reuses, recycles, or recovers waste to reach ZLF.

For example, at the Owensboro, Kentucky / USA facility, which produces pasta sauce under the “Ragu” and “Bertolli” brands, paper and plastic are sent for recycling and converted into tissues and composite lumber respectively. The company’s Clearwater, Florida / USA plant, which makes frozen ice cream novelties, has a “reuse programme” that includes reusing cookie liners as trash bags throughout the facility, donating used shoes to charity and selling five-gallon plastic buckets to local stores.

Kees Kruythoff, president, Unilever North America, said: “By eliminating waste, our employees are demonstrating our sustainable business model in action. This achievement is an important milestone for Unilever as we continue to fulfil our vision of significantly reducing our environmental impact while doubling our business.”

Earlier in April 2013, consumer products giant Procter & Gamble (Cincinnati, Ohio / USA; www.pg.com) said it had achieved zero manufacturing waste to landfill at 45 of its facilities – see Plasteurope.com of 08.04.2013.