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Over 75% of Unilever's Factories Achieve Zero Non-hazardous Waste to Landfill

Globally Unilever factories avoid over €17 mln disposal costs

Over 75% of Unilever's Factories Achieve Zero Non-hazardous Waste to Landfill

Globally Unilever factories avoid over €17 mln disposal costs

Published 04-09-14

Submitted by Unilever

Unilever announced today that all its factories across Europe have joined those in North America in achieving zero non-hazardous waste to landfill. With similar achievements in countries from Argentina to Indonesia, it means more than three-quarters of the company’s global factory network no longer sends such waste to landfill, up from 20% just three years ago.

Under the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan, by 2020 total waste sent for disposal will be below 2008 levels, despite growing the business significantly. Achieving zero non-hazardous waste from factories is a key element of this target. The achievement to date has been made possible with minimal need for capital expenditure and has avoided cumulative disposal costs of more than EUR17million. On 28 April this year, the Unilever Sustainable Living Report 2013 will be published, and it will confirm that Unilever has reduced total waste sent for disposal by 66% per tonne of production since 2008.

Pier Luigi Sigismondi, Unilever Chief Supply Chain Officer, said: “We have seen a rapid acceleration in converting the network to zero waste. In 2010, 52 sites were there. We have now reached 200 sites. We are on trackUnilever-waste-disposal to hit our revised target of 100% of sites by 2015, five years ahead of the original 2020 target. I am proud of the team effort which has got us to this milestone.”

Sigismondi added that a focus on eliminating waste from manufacturing processes in North America, Europe, the majority of Latin America and a number of other countries has brought the final goal firmly in sight, adding that two key factors could be identified for this success:

1. Reducing waste at source was identified early on as a game changer when the campaign began in 2010.

100% Zero Non-Hazardous Waste to Landfill has been achieved at all European sites through the application of the "three Rs" principle: reduce, reuse and recycle. Where solid waste cannot be eliminated, reused or recycled, it is sent for energy recovery instead of to a landfill. Some examples include:

  • St Dizier, France – ice cream waste separated from packaging via a screw compressor, and passed on to create biogas. This resulted in a saving of €50, 000 per annum.
  • Leeds, UK – upgraded the Effluent Treatment Plant so that they could send over 1,000 tonnes of effluent to be used as a fertiliser for professional football pitch turf, saving over £35, 000 per annum.

2. Creating a mindset for change across the entire network.

Unilever’s Tortuguitas site in Argentina was the second largest waste generating site in the company, yet the factory leadership team remained convinced they could achieve their target of sending zero non-hazardous waste to landfill in 2013.

Working with managers across the site, the Factory Director helped create a zero mindset which spread across the entire factory encouraging them to reach their goal. They formed “Green Teams” – groups of employees given specific responsibility for Unilever-zero-signgenerating eco-efficiency ideas and creating projects to eliminate and reduce waste generation.

The zero mindset rapidly spread across Tortuguitas to encompass the way the site works with local suppliers. Supported by the unique Global CapEx fund “Small Action Big Difference” for sustainability projects, the Argentinean team developed product recovery equipment on their production lines This project alone has resulted in 88 tonnes per year of recovered product and €35,000 costs avoided, all within a one year payback period.

The intention now is to spread this knowledge across the remaining factories. The Environmental Coordinator from the Africa cluster has recently visited Tortuguitas to learn about the best practices. This knowledge will then be used to help make the necessary changes in helping all African factories achieve zero non-hazardous waste to landfill.

About Unilever
Unilever is one of the world’s leading suppliers of Food, Home and Personal Care products with sales in over 190 countries. Our products are present in 7 out of 10 homes globally and are used by over 2 billion people on a daily basis. We work with 173,000 colleagues around the world and generated annual sales of over €50 billion in 2012. Over half of our company’s footprint is in the faster growing developing and emerging markets (55% in 2012). Working to create a better future every day, we help people feel good, look good and get more out of life. Our portfolio includes some of the world’s best known brands such as Knorr, Persil / Omo, Dove, Sunsilk, Hellmann’s, Lipton, Rexona / Sure, Wall’s, Lux, Rama, Pond’s and Axe, 14 of which now generate a turnover of €1 billion or more.

Our ambition is to double the size of our business, whilst reducing our overall environmental footprint (including sourcing, consumer use and disposal) and increasing our positive social impact. We are committed to helping more than a billion people take action to improve their health and well-being, sourcing all our agricultural raw materials sustainably by 2020, and decoupling our growth from our environmental impact. Supporting our three big goals, we have defined seven pillars, underpinned by targets encompassing social, environmental and economic areas. See more on the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan at www.unilever.com/sustainable-living.

Unilever has been recognised in the Dow Jones Sustainability World Indexes for 14 consecutive years. We are included in the FTSE4Good Index Series and attained a top environmental score of 5, leading to inclusion in the FTSE4Good Environmental Leaders Europe 40 Index. In 2012 Unilever led the Climate Counts Company Scorecard for the second year running and the list of Global Corporate Sustainability Leaders in the GlobeScan /Sustainability latest annual survey - for the third year running. The company is an employer of choice in many of the countries in which it operates and is seen as a symbol for innovation and leadership development. Unilever consistently achieves strong recognition in this area by independent bodies and was voted best company in Europe for leadership in the 2013 Hay Group study.

For more information about Unilever and its brands, please visit www.unilever.com.

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Unilever

Unilever

Unilever is one of the world’s leading suppliers of fast moving consumer goods with operations in over 100 countries and sales in 190. Consumers buy 170 billion Unilever packs around the world every year, and our products are used over two billion times a day. We have more than 171,000 employees, and generated annual sales of €46.5 billion in 2011. More than half our sales are generated in emerging markets (56% in 2011). Working to create a better future every day, we help people feel good, look good and get more out of life with brands and services that are good for them and good for others. Our portfolio includes some of the world’s best known brands including Knorr, Hellmann’s, Lipton, Dove, Vaseline, Persil, Cif, Radox, Sure and Lifebuoy.

Our ambition is to double the size of our business, whilst reducing our overall environmental impact (including sourcing, consumer use and disposal). We are also committed to doing what we can to improve health, nutrition and hygiene, with a target to help more than a billion people take action to improve their health and well-being, as well as sourcing all our agricultural raw materials sustainably by 2020. All of these goals are itemised in around 50 time-based commitments in our Unilever Sustainable Living Plan.

Unilever has led the Food Producers sector in the Dow Jones Sustainability World Indexes for 14 consecutive years and has regained the leadership of the Food and Beverage supersector. We are included in the FTSE4Good Index Series and attained a top environmental score of 5, leading to inclusion in the FTSE4Good Environmental Leaders Europe 40 Index. In 2011 Unilever led the Climate Counts Company Scorecard and were named #1 in the list of Global Corporate Sustainability Leaders in GlobeScan Inc. and SustainAbility Ltd’s latest annual survey (2012).

For more information about Unilever and its brands, please visit www.unilever.com

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