The Acuity Brands’ Carlisle, Penn. manufacturing and distribution center has achieved zero landfill status, as certified by Link International, the lighting and controls company says.
This is the second Acuity Brands manufacturing and distribution site to operate as a zero landfill plant. The first is in Los Angeles.
The company says it achieved zero landfill certification through a number of waste reduction efforts including:
- Trash compactor conversion
- Scrap metal collection
- Plastic and cardboard balers
- Scrap wood collection/broke pallet rebuild program
- Signage and containers for easy separation
- No trash collection
Achieving zero landfill status at Acuity Brands facilities is part of its overall sustainability commitment to reduce harmful impacts on the environment. The Carlisle facility allocates a portion of its monthly savings from recycling to benefit the community, the company says.
Earlier this year, San Antonio’s Comal School District said it will save about $54,000 per year in energy with help from Acuity Brands lighting and controls. Kinder Ranch, an 87,300-sq.-foot elementary school, is the first in the district to feature a high performance lighting solution.
Late last month Volvo’s New River Valley assembly plant in Dublin, Va., achieved zero landfill status at its truck manufacturing operations. According to the automaker, all waste generated by the facility, which manufactures all Volvo trucks sold in North America, is now recycled, composted or converted to electricity. The 1.6 million square-foot heavy-duty truck assembly plant is one of Volvo Group’s largest manufacturing facilities in the world, and the company’s first in North America to achieve zero landfill status.
In an effort to encourage businesses, organizations and institutions to increase workplace recycling, Keep America Beautiful’s Recycling at Work initiative has launched a new website, RecyclingatWork.org, with a host of tools and resources including recycling bin discounts.
By taking the Recycling at Work pledge, companies can receive an exclusive 15 percent discount when ordering recycling bins from Recycle Away and Busch Systems, and can access resources such as recycling best practices, employee engagement activities and customizable promotional materials.