Keeping waste out of landfills in the US
Over the past few years, the VELUX Greenwood site in South Carolina has focused on reducing the amount of waste sent to landfills. In 2023 this has resulted in an impressive reduction in landfilled waste of over 40% since 2022.
Achieving this level of reduction has involved everyone at the production site – not least the management team. With their support, the entire team has focused on recycling wherever possible even when this has been more complex or costly.
Throughout the site, there have been changes – especially in the infrastructure around recycling. Instead of relying on third-party vendors for collecting and recycling, the Greenwood site has invested in several new containers. This gives them greater flexibility and control of their waste management.
A mindset change
Furthermore, everyone on site has been given training on waste management and reduction, which keeps this issue top of mind. With simple PowerPoints and photos of how waste is handled on the production floor, people are encouraged to discuss what’s working and what’s not.
These discussions have led to several changes that are already getting results. For example, the site has stopped using plastic shrink-wrap packaging and Styrofoam packaging has been replaced by a more recyclable alternative.
Making reductions visible
The success of the waste reduction initiative is also made visible in the form of charts that are shared with the production team. This has overcome barriers and created the mentality that recycling is not as complex as first thought.
The overall goal is to reduce waste sent to landfill to zero by 2030.
