Path to zero landfill waste
If you're a regular SPARK reader, you might remember that Hypertherm is determined to create zero landfill waste by 2020. Read our Trash talk post for more on this effort.
Though we have made enormous progress toward our goal, we found ourselves really struggling with how to repurpose or recycle the more unique materials we came across. I mean, think about all the waste you generate in a single day. There's only so much you can recycle. The rest, unfortunately, often winds up in a trash can somewhere.
We knew we needed outside help and so turned to a regional solid waste, recycling, and resource management company called Casella. Working with Casella, we came up with a plan that's been in place since January of this year.
Instead of going directly to a landfill, waste collected from Hypertherm’s 11 New Hampshire buildings goes to a central sorting facility where Casella employees work to find a market for it.
Since the start of the pilot, Hypertherm’s landfill waste has dropped from 26 percent of non-metals waste to 14 percent. In less than six months, we've managed to reduce our landfill waste by 12 percent.
In the 5+ years since we set our zero landfill waste goal, our actual landfill waste amount has actually decreased by more than 204,000 pounds. Read a newspaper article on this venture or take a look at some of our other environmental goals below.
