Unilever North America today announced it has achieved 100% zero waste to landfill (ZLF) at all dedicated distribution centers in North America. Unilever reached its target of ZLF at all global factories in January.

Reducing waste sent for disposal is a critical component of the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan.   Established in 2010, the Plan aims to halve Unilever’s environmental footprint of the making and use of its products by 2020. Unilever North America continues to make progress on the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan through collaboration, partner education and reducing the company’s environmental impact.

Unilever reached ZLF at all of its owned facilities in North America in April 2013. The company continued to expand its goals by looking for ways to collaborate with partners, such as third-party distribution centers, which house the company’s finished goods.

“Reaching 100% zero waste to landfill on all waste streams at our North America distribution centers is a great example of how we are putting our sustainability strategy into action and reducing our environmental footprint to strengthen our business, as well as our commitment to partnership and collaboration,” said Reginaldo Ecclissato, SVP Americas Supply Chain & Chairman, Unilever Americas Supply Chain Company. “This achievement builds on the journey we began a few years ago when all of our Unilever-owned factories in North America became zero waste to landfill, but it is far from the end. We will continue to challenge ourselves and our partners in our mission for sustainable growth.”

Solutions to avoid sending finished goods to landfill include focused inventory management, composting, creating animal feed, package recycling and generating biodiesel fuel.  Eliminating waste in distribution centers resulted in cost savings of more than $1.9 million in 2013.

To achieve ZLF Unilever has adopted the four ‘R’ approach – firstly reducing waste at source then reusing, recovering or recycling any non-hazardous waste that remains. It has meant reconsidering every single material that is consumed in a factory and distribution center – from reusing packing materials from supplier deliveries to food waste from staff cafeterias.

“The Unilever Supply Chain team worked closely with our distribution centers to ensure each location had the right tools to achieve 100% zero waste to landfill,” said Wendy Herrick, Vice President Logistics & Customer Service Unilever, North America, Supply Chain. “Sustainability is at the core of our business strategy and this milestone is an important step in reducing our environmental footprint.”

About Unilever United States, Inc.

Unilever is one of the world’s leading suppliers of Food, Home and Personal Care products with sales in more than 190 countries. Working to create a better future every day, we help people feel good, look good and get more out of life. In the United States, the portfolio includes brand icons such as: Axe, Ben & Jerry’s, Breyers, Caress, Clear Scalp & Hair Therapy, Consort For Men, Country Crock, Degree, Dove personal care products, Fruttare, Good Humor, Hellmann’s, I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!, Just for Me!, Klondike, Knorr, Lever 2000, Lipton, Magnum, Motions, Nexxus, Noxzema, Pond’s, Popsicle, Promise, Q-tips, Simple, St. Ives, Suave, Talenti Gelato & Sorbetto, TIGI, TONI&GUY Hair Meet Wardrobe, TRESemmé and Vaseline.  All of the preceding brand names are trademarks or registered trademarks of the Unilever Group of Companies.

Our ambition is to double the size of our business, while 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 http://www.unileverusa.com/sustainable-living/.

Unilever employs approximately 8,000 people in the United States – generating approximately $8.5 billion in sales in 2014. For more information, visit www.unileverusa.com.

Unilever NA

Unilever NA

Unilever is one of the world’s leading suppliers of Food, Home and Personal Care products with sales in more than 190 countries. Working to create a better future every day, we help people feel good, look good and get more out of life. In the United States, the portfolio includes brand icons such as: Axe, Ben & Jerry’s, Breyers, Caress, Clear Scalp & Hair Therapy, Consort For Men, Country Crock, Degree, Dove personal care products, Fruttare, Good Humor, Hellmann’s, I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!, Just for Me!, Klondike, Knorr, Lever 2000, Lipton, Magnum, Motions, Nexxus, Noxzema, Pond’s, Popsicle, Promise, Q-tips, Simple, St. Ives, Suave, Talenti Gelato & Sorbetto, TIGI, TONI&GUY Hair Meet Wardrobe, TRESemmé© and Vaseline. All of the preceding brand names are trademarks or registered trademarks of the Unilever Group of Companies. Our ambition is to double the size of our business, while 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 http://www.unileverusa.com/sustainable-living/.

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