Is it possible for a network of more than 240 factories across 67 countries to completely eliminate landfill waste? And even if it is, would it be practical or indeed financially viable? Unilever has just proven that not only is it possible, but that it also makes sound business sense.
Sending zero non-hazardous waste to landfill has resulted in more than €200m (£131.2m) of cost avoidance and created hundreds of jobs. In Egypt, for example, disabled employees are earning extra income by recycling waste material from production lines.
The approach is to first reduce waste at source then reuse, recover or recycle what’s left. That means reconsidering everything consumed in a factory from reusing packing materials from supplier deliveries to recycling food waste from staff cafeterias.
And the waste is being used in some pretty innovative ways. In Cote D’Ivoire, it’s turned into low cost building materials. In China, it’s used to make bricks and paving. And in India, composted organic waste is shared with the local community to grow vegetables.
Unilever is now working towards a zero waste value chain by encouraging suppliers and customers to join the mission. The company is also committed to developing an open source approach and sharing its framework and experience with other organisations to help drive global change.
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