Unilever claims zero-waste achievement

London-based consumer products company Unilever says it has “reached a new industry-leading achievement of sending zero nonhazardous waste to landfills across more than 600 sites in 70 countries, including factories, warehouses, distribution centers and offices.”

The announcement provides an update since a January 2015 Unilever announcement that more than 240 of its manufacturing sites had achieved zero nonhazardous waste to landfill.

The company says it has “now found alternative routes for the waste from these sites,” and its goals have been achieved “by continuing with the four ‘R’ approach of reducing, reusing, recovering or recycling, proving that waste can be seen as a resource with many alternative uses—from converting factory waste to building materials to composting food waste from staff cafeterias.”

As well as maintaining zero-waste status at these locations, Unilever says it will strive to meet the zero-waste goal at future greenfield and acquired sites. The company says its efforts “provide a strong business case for sustainability—liminating waste has contributed to cost-benefits of €200million ($222 million) and created hundreds of jobs.”

Unilever also has announced an alliance with 2degrees, a sustainability collaboration website, to share some aspects of its zero-waste model.

“The global challenge of a growing population relying on limited resources is very real,” says Pier Luigi Sigismondi, Unilever’s chief supply chain officer. “Our zero-waste goal underpins Unilever’s sustainable growth ambitions, as well as our commitment to become resource resilient and tackle climate change.” 

Sigismondi continues, “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. 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.”

Says Martin Chilcott, founder and CEO, 2degrees, “Unilever is continuing to demonstrate the leadership necessary to tackle the biggest resource efficiency and sustainability challenges that businesses face. To achieve bold goals, such as zero-waste in the value chain, we need equally bold action and collaboration at scale.”  

Unilever owns more than 400 consumer product brands, including Dove, Knorr, Hellmann’s, Lipton, Ben & Jerry’s, Marmite, Axe and Brut.  It sells its products in more than 190 countries, has 172,000 employees and generated sales of €53.3 billion ($59.2 billion) in 2015.