Save the Landfills

Whether you work at a landfill, manage a collection fleet, or run a recycling facility, there's only so much one person or one operation can do to combat carbon emissions and reduce waste. However, some of the biggest companies in the world are committing to sustainability and reducing the amount of garbage sent to landfills.

Last week, Sustainability Magazine published their list of the top ten companies that are demonstrating their commitment to supporting a circular economy. Number 1 on the list was car manufacturer Subaru. The company partners with TerraCycle, a waste management company, to transform rubbish into high-quality recycled items that are then donated to communities.

One of Subaru's manufacturing plants, located in Indiana, has not sent any waste to local landfills in 18 years. It has also been named a backyard wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation, according to the article!

Second on the list is McDonald's. The company claims that all collected waste will be recycled, reused, or composted rather than sent to the landfill—by the year 2027.

Sierra Nevada, a beer manufacturer, diverts 99.8% of its waste from landfills and has been doing so since 2013. Barley and hops leftover from the brewing process are also sent to local cattle farms to be repurposed as feed. Sierra Nevada was the third company listed on Sustainability Magazine's list.

If you've heard of Patagonia, you probably know about the company's longstanding reputation for being committed to sustainability. Customers can have damaged items repaired, and any clothing items that can't be repaired are recycled into new products. Patagonia also runs an online marketplace for customers to donate or sell their used clothing instead of sending it to the landfill.

Fifth on the list, Microsoft has also announced plans to divert 90% of its waste from landfills by the year 2030. "The company has built its own recycling Circular Centres that reuse and repurpose old servers and hardware for its data centres," according to the article by Charlie Steer-Stephenson. "In 2021 the programme achieved 83% reuse efficiency, massively contributing to the efficiency, resilience and sustainability of the supply chain."

Check out the article to learn about the other five companies that are committed to reducing landfilled waste.

Another company that didn't make the list but is cutting down its plastic waste is the Coca-Cola Company. About a month ago, they announced changes to Sprite and Dasani bottles. Sprite soda bottles will now be manufactured with clear plastic instead of the iconic green plastic; the current tinted bottles are made with green polyethylene terephthalate (PET) which can't be recycled into new bottles. DASANI, another Coca-Cola brand, also rolled out bottles that are made from 100% recycled PET plastic.