In six years, the site saw its waste handling costs slashed by over 50%. In 2019 alone, the site recycled 1,171 tons of cardboard, paper, wood, scrap metals and plastics. These efforts equate to saving:
- 4,248 mature trees or,
- 3,323,689 kWh of electricity, enough power to fulfill the annual electric needs of 318 homes or,
- 3,757 tons of greenhouse gas emissions or,
- 769,300 gallons of water, enough to meet the daily fresh water needs of 10,257 people.
In 2012, office and shop floor areas began single-stream recycling. By 2016, the site had implemented composting of pre-kitchen waste, wood pallet recycling, plastic foam and rubber scrap recycling and eliminated one trash compactor that was designated for landfill disposal. In 2017, all buildings and offices transitioned to multi-stream recycling. Landfill waste began shifting to a Waste to Energy (W2E) facility in York, Pennsylvania, where it is incinerated at high temperatures, producing steam that then powers turbines to produce electricity. By the end of 2018, all waste was fully diverted from landfills.
Volvo’s team works closely with the waste service provider on new methods to smartly reduce waste and cost. Waste fractions can be tracked and generated for review at any time. All new manufacturing projects undergo a waste evaluation by a Volvo cross-functional team to ensure they meet zero landfill requirements.
To put the site’s achievement in perspective, in 2017, 52% of the U.S. municipal solid waste was still being diverted to landfill versus recycled or converted to energy, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
For more information, please contact:
Dave Foster
Vice President
Marketing and Corporate Communications
Sales Region Americas
Volvo Construction Equipment
Tel: 717 530 6169
Email: dave.foster@volvo.com
