American Packaging achieves zero waste to landfill status in its NY facility
Increasingly, companies are aiming to be more environmentally friendly, and one measurable mean toward that end is establishing operations that send zero waste to landfills. American Packaging’s Engineered Laminations & Coatings Center of Excellence located in Rochester, New York, set out to achieve this goal and managed to reach it by the end of 2016.
Recognizing the impact its production has on the environment, American Packaging set out many years ago to develop robust sustainable programs that would include recycling, energy recovery, improved equipment efficiency and employee engagement across all its manufacturing locations. The Rochester Center of Excellence was the first American Packaging site to achieve ISO 14001 EMS registration back in May 2012 and shortly afterwards set out with new sustainable targets to work on. The company’s journey to zero waste to landfill began in 2013 where over 25 percent of the New York Center’s waste was being sent to landfill. By conducting comprehensive waste audits, rethinking how to manage waste and purchasing equipment to facilitate changing scrap into more useable configurations, the Center was able to sharply decrease its waste going to landfill to 13 percent in 2015 and then attain its ultimate goal of zero percent by the end of 2016.
“To achieve bold goals, such as zero waste to landfill, we need equally bold action and collaboration from all parties”, said Dave Geier, operations manager for the facility, “our challenge now is to maintain a suitable recycling program and continue to look at ways to eliminate waste generated in the first place.”
American Packaging believes sustainability is a fundamental part of long-term profitability and viability of a company. The company stated that the goal of its sustainability program is to be accountable and responsible for its actions. American Packaging added, “Our goal of achieving zero landfill status demonstrates a commitment to being a good corporate citizen by setting high environmental targets and achieving them.”
