Unilever’s UK factories achieve zero waste ambition

The FMCG business – whose brands include Persil, PG Tips, Colman's and Dove – said today (8 September) that it is no longer sending any non-hazardous waste to landfill from any of its 11 UK manufacturing sites. These include the PG Tips factory in Manchester and the Colman's site in Norwich. Unilever has struck a deal with waste management firm Veolia to recycle 97% of its waste and convert the remaining 3% into usable energy. The arrangement covers two R&D facilities and two major office sites, as well as the plants. The target is part of the group's global ambition to double the size of the business while reducing its environmental impact. Tony Dunnage, Unilever European eco-efficiency manager, said: "Today's landmark demonstrates how our factories, office sites and R&D laboratories are more environmentally responsible, which is helping us to save money to invest in our business. "Managing waste in a manufacturing process has similarities to managing waste as a consumer – it requires the application of the 'three Rs' principle: reduce, reuse, recycle. While this announcement is all about our commitment to recycling, we are also determined to find ways to reduce and reuse the materials which we need in our factories."