Case: Reducing landfill waste
Huhtamaki's molded fiber unit in Lurgan, UK, optimizes waste recovery by separating waste materials and thus significantly reducing the amount of waste going to landfills.
Today, waste in Lurgan has several streams: plastic, aluminum foil, metal and wood are being segregated on-site and subsequently sold. Dry compaction of general waste reduces the need for waste pick-ups. In 2010, the unit will also introduce compaction of wet waste and target a 33% reduction in wet waste sent to landfills.
"The waste recovery project started in 2008 and continues. In 2009, our savings already equaled the annual salary of one employee, and we estimate that we will more than double that in 2010. At the same time, our employees have become more environmentally aware and we're a tidier factory."