A year on from announcing that over 240 of its factories had secured zero waste to landfill status, and less than sixth months after announcing all its European operations have stopped sending waste to landfill, Unilever today chalked off another environmental milestone, announcing that more than 600 sites are now diverting all their non-hazardous waste from landfill.
The consumer goods giant, which has set itself a goal of becoming one of the first multinationals to secure zero waste status across all its operations, said facilities in 70 countries, including factories, warehouses, distribution centres, and offices had found alternative routes for their non-hazardous waste streams, ending the practice of sending it to landfill.
Unilever said nearly 400 sites had stopped sending non-hazardous waste to landfill in the past year, after applying a "four R approach" to waste streams whereby materials are reduced, reused, recovered, or recycled.
The company also stressed hazardous waste represents a "very small percentage" of its total waste, which is already processed in line with local regulations.
Unilever said it was using a wide range of different initiatives in different geographies in order to divert waste from landfill. For example, in Egypt a scheme has been introduced to allow disabled employees to earn extra income by recycling waste material from Unilever's production lines, while in Indonesia waste from Unilever facilities is being converted into energy for use at local cement manufacturing plants.
The company has said there was a compelling commercial case for embracing zero waste practices, arguing in the past that the strategy has contributed to cost savings worth €200m while creating hundreds of jobs in the wider economy.
Pier Luigi Sigismondi, Unilever chief supply chain officer, said the zero waste goal "underpins Unilever's sustainable growth ambitions, as well as our commitment to become resource resilient and tackle climate change".
He added that the company was now keen to work closer with suppliers and partners to expand its zero waste strategy and as a result was teaming up with the 2degrees sustainability executive network to launch a new waste initiative this summer.
"While I am proud of what our employees and partners have achieved across our manufacturing operations and the wider business, there is a lot more to be done to inspire a wide-scale movement," Sigismondi said in a statement. "It is time to accelerate efforts to move towards a zero waste world and our new collaboration with 2degrees will allow us to share lessons and experiences, and to encourage other businesses and industries to take up the zero waste challenge. By building a network of partners and working together, we can eliminate waste on an unprecedented scale across the globe."
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