Resource Conservation: Waste Reduction
Our waste reduction experts figured out how to transform oil-soaked booms from the Gulf of Mexico into air deflectors for the Chevy Volt.
Hundreds of plastic booms soaking up oil from the Gulf of Mexico was among the many unforgettable images from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill during the summer of 2010. Looking at these images, John Bradburn, our manager of waste-reduction efforts, began thinking about how to keep these oil-soaked booms out of landfills to avoid further environmental impact. Within a few months, John had found a solution, which resulted in the recycling of the booms into air deflectors for the Chevrolet Volt. Our Rosario Plant in Argentina now uses polycarbonate glasses in their cafeteria, avoiding 1.5 million of disposable cups being sent to landfills. Also, 10 tons of organic wastes from the cafeteria are treated on-site at the compost plant. The resulting high-nutrient compost is used as a natural fertilizer in gardens at Rosario's plant.
This story is illustrative of the type of creative thinking and passion that has enabled us to become a waste-reduction leader in the automotive industry. Over half of our manufacturing locations around the world are landfill-free, meaning that all waste from daily operations is recycled, reused or converted to energy in lieu of fossil fuels (three percent of waste is reclaimed by the latter). As of December 2010, 76 facilities had achieved zero-landfill status, surpassing a global operations commitment to have half of our global manufacturing operations landfill-free by the end of 2010. We continued progress in 2011, ending the year with 81 landfill-free manufacturing facilities and 16 landfill-free non-manufacturing facilities.
Key to our landfill-free designation is our commitment to understand and track where our materials go after leaving our plants. A robust data system enables us to research, audit and validate that materials are indeed being recycled or reused.
Waste recycling and waste reduction have become a hallmark of our culture in which our employees, service providers and suppliers pay attention to detail and challenge conventional manufacturing operations. This engagement enabled our facilities to increase the recycling of waste materials and to reduce total waste from global operations. In 2010, 52 kg of total waste per vehicle manufactured was generated. Including metal scrap and foundry sands, the number is 304 kg of waste per vehicle manufactured.*
We also focus on ways to convert material by-products from routine manufacturing operations into new-vehicle components. This expertise has resulted in closed-loop systems whereby GM cardboard shipping and post-industrial materials become sound-absorption materials in Buick LaCrosse and Verano headliners. In this application, 85 percent of the headliner by weight is from recycled material — 25 percent cardboard and 60 percent post-industrial. Other examples include plastic caps and shipping aids from our Fort Wayne Assembly Operation converted into 25 percent (by weight) of the radiator shrouds for Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra trucks, and shredded tires from our Milford vehicle performance test operations find new life as 25 percent (by weight) air and water baffles in the 2010 Chevrolet Volt. Our Rosario Plant in Argentina now uses polycarbonate glasses in their cafeteria, avoiding 1.5 million of disposable cups being sent to landfills. Also, 10 tons of organic wastes from the cafeteria are treated on-site at the compost plant. The resulting high-nutrient compost is used as a natural fertilizer in gardens at Rosario's plant.
2020 Commitment: Reduce total waste from facilities by 10 percent.*
Total waste includes all manufacturing waste, including scrap metals and foundry sands. It excludes event waste (such as demolition and construction debris), waste from nonmanufacturing sites, and waste from CAMI, FAW Harbin and Hongta (data not available for 2010).
In all, our global facilities combined recycled 92 percent of the waste they generated in 2010. This adds up to 2.5 million tons of waste materials, which would fill 6.8 million extended-cab pick-up trucks that lined up end-to-end would stretch around the world.
Global Recycling by the Ton*
- 1,790,000 of scrap metal
- 126,850 of wood
- 80,760 of cardboard
- 34,560 of machining materials
- 24,800 of batteries
- 15,160 of plastic
- 10,500 of paper
- 9,900 of oil
- 480 of filters
*2010 data including some data from GM JVs
As we pursue future zero-waste goals, we must work through several challenges. These include the lack of recycling infrastructure in many regions of the world in which we operate and local regulations that require landfill disposition for certain materials. As an industry leader, we are sharing best practices to help policymakers and others better understand waste streams and potential recycling solutions. Given our size, we also have the opportunity to drive and positively influence the global recycling trade.
We know we have the creativity and commitment to find sustainable solutions. This is consistent with our alignment of our sustainability and business models. As a result, our waste reduction, re-use and recycling efforts have saved the company* about $2.5 billion between 2007 and 2010. That is money that wasn't generated by selling vehicles, but by creating a comprehensive by-products management system, increasing process efficiencies and eliminating costs.
2020 Commitment: Promote landfill-free facilities to achieve 100 landfill-free manufacturing sites and 25 nonmanufacturing sites.*
All by-products (wastes) that come from ongoing, day-to-day manufacturing-related operations must be taken into account as part of a landfill-free designation. This includes periodic by-products, such as pit cleanouts. To qualify for "landfill-free" status, facilities must handle by-products by any other method except placement in a landfill. By-product material residues that have been sent to an off-site recycling center and subsequently landfilled by the recycling center must not exceed one percent, by weight, of the facility's total waste production volume. Ash generated from waste-to-energy recovery facilities is exempt.
*2010 Baseline Year. Facilities included in 2010 metrics, 2015 and 2020 targets reflect General Motors Company owned or operated facilities as of December 31, 2010. Metrics for 2000 and 2005 are based on operations of General Motors Corporation and have been restated to exclude facilities no longer owned or operated by General Motors Company.
Creative Recycling
at Its Best
Creative recycling solutions are always rewarding, but when a recycling idea creates something positive in the face of one of the worst oil spills in U.S. history, then our sense of satisfaction soars...