From Canada to Colombia: GM Adds 11 More Facilities That Subtract Waste

These days, everyone is trying to reduce the amount of waste they waste. With this concerted effort, the “Zero Waste” movement continues to grow. Today, 11 more GM facilities hit the landfill-free milestone.

Our “Quest for Zero Landfill” began back in 2005 when Flint Engine Operations in Michigan became the first GM facility to earn landfill-free status, meaning that none of its waste is sent to a landfill. But it wasn’t as easy as throwing plastic bottles into a recycling bin.

“Every landfill-free achievement – from our first in 2005 to these 11 we’re announcing today—is made possible because different departments, companies and organizations come together to achieve a common goal,” said John Bradburn, GM’s global manager of waste reduction. “It takes a lot of collaboration and ingenuity to help separate and recycle challenging materials.

“Flint Engine set the pace for the next 121 plants that would follow, and the excitement and creativity continues to grow.”

Nearly a decade later, GM’s 122 landfill-free facilities showcase how waste reduction is such an integral part of GM’s sustainability commitment. Just look at both the environmental and bottom-line benefits.

Moving these 11 facilities to landfill-free helps GM avoid more than 600,000 metric tons of CO₂-equivalent emissions. That’s like growing 15 million tree seedlings for 10 years.

And, there’s money to be made. CAMI Assembly in Canada made more than $7 million in revenue from recycling last year.

Without further ado, here’s who just earned a spot on our landfill-free list:

·         CAMI Assembly (Canada)

·         Colmotores Assembly (Colombia)

·         Joinville Engine (Brazil)

·         Zaragoza Assembly (Spain)

·         Zaragoza Stamping (Spain)

·         Grand Rapids Operations (Michigan)

·         Burton Warehouse and Distribution Center (Michigan)

·         GM Heritage Center (Michigan)

·         Shanghai Headquarters (China)

·         Luton Warehouse (England)

·         Fontana Warehouse and Distribution Center (California)

These facilities all share one thing in common: they treat their waste as resources out of place and employ a number of methods to give them a second or third life. For example, CAMI Assembly turns scrap wood into mulch for its wetlands; Grand Rapids Operations recycles its grinding wheels as sandpaper; and Zaragoza and Joinville compost wastewaster treatment sludge and organic cafeteria waste, respectively, to provide nutrients for their site’s trees and plants.

But as we say, landfill-free is never a finish line. There’s always more we can do to improve. With that, we’re going to get back to work, connecting with our partners and sifting through the trash to see how we can get rid of more of it.