Waddington Europe has achieved zero waste to landfill status across all three manufacturing sites, in Arklow Co. Wicklow, Milton Keynes and Bridgwater.
The certification was awarded by Valpak to Waddington Europe following a rigorous auditing process.
The company’s move to a zero waste policy mirrors other sustainable initiatives the company has introduced across all sites including closed loop systems for water used for cooling tools in production, and filters on every external drain to ensure no plastic pellets are allowed to enter into the water system as part of a ‘Pellet Retention Scheme’ which is linked to Operation Clean Sweep.
Eduardo Gomes said: “A huge amount of work and commitment has gone into making this a reality. We worked with experts and market leaders to review our processes and waste streams to ensure anything that could be recycled was being recycled. This included everything from our offices and factory canteens, to recycling all the plastic waste produced by our own thermoforming production line back into the manufacturing process.”
“We also looked to reduce as much waste as possible around the site; anything and everything from using air hand dryers in site bathrooms rather than paper towels, to downgauging projects. A particular project across a key category sector recently resulted in a 9% weight reduction of packaging across the entire category range, which in turn significantly reduced energy use in the manufacturing process.”